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By Lawrence Agbo
A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kenneth Okonkwo, has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of plotting to weaken the opposition party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking on Sunrise Daily, Okonkwo alleged that the APC is using certain individuals to destabilise the ADC and undermine its growing coalition, which he said poses a political threat to the ruling party.
He claimed that efforts were being made to influence the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), particularly in relation to an ongoing leadership dispute within the party.
“I was shown everything—resignations, NWC dissolutions—all carried out for the greater good of Nigeria. Yet, some charlatans, some clowns, are being used by APC because President Tinubu does not want any competition in 2027. That is what is going on,” Okonkwo said.
According to him, some actors are attempting to misrepresent court proceedings to force the electoral body into recognising a rival faction.
“A lawyer went to court seeking relief, and now some are claiming the court has ruled in their favour when it has not. This is the second letter they are writing to INEC. The first, on March 16, was treated as a useless letter. Now, under pressure from APC, they are pushing Joash Amupitan to act or resign,” he said.
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Okonkwo maintained that the leadership of the ADC had undergone due process, noting that it was previously recognised after extensive consultations and internal restructuring.
“It was Professor Yakubu Mahmood who recognised the ADC leadership, not Joash Amupitan. If Professor Mahmood, who we know has a history of technical glitches, looked at the process we followed and saw no irregularities, he went the extra mile to endorse us.
“If there had been even a minor glitch, he would not have approved it. We had 18 months of negotiations before we arrived at this,” Okonkwo explained.
He dismissed claims by a factional figure, Nafiu Gombe, describing his demands as baseless and politically motivated.
“He stated clearly in his letter that he was resigning to allow for a smooth coalition and restructuring. After resigning, APC went back to him, thinking they could use him to truncate the ADC because they are desperate,” Okonkwo added.
The ADC chieftain further alleged that the renewed internal crisis was triggered by the ruling party’s fear of a strong opposition coalition ahead of 2027, especially following the influx of high-profile politicians into the party.
