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ADC says not yet ready for campaigns, NDC intensifies nationwide
From Fred Itua, Abuja
As campaigns for the 2027 general elections officially kick off across the country, major opposition parties appear to be struggling to match the organisational momentum of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), with internal disputes, prolonged litigation and funding challenges slowing their preparations.
While the APC has continued to strengthen its grassroots structures across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), opposition parties are still grappling with leadership disputes and efforts to reconcile aggrieved members ahead of the election.
The development has raised questions over the readiness of opposition parties to mount a coordinated nationwide campaign as the political contest gathers momentum.
For the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the priority appears to be resolving its internal and legal challenges before unveiling a comprehensive campaign structure.
The party’s leadership dispute has travelled through the judicial hierarchy from the Federal High Court to the Supreme Court. The apex court recently set aside an order of the Court of Appeal and remitted the matter to the trial court for accelerated hearing.
The suit was instituted by an aggrieved party chieftain, Nafiu Bala Gombe, challenging the leadership of former Senate President David Mark and National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the timing of its campaign structure, the ADC said it was not under pressure to commence its campaign activities immediately.
Responding to inquiries on the delay, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, dismissed concerns over its preparedness.
“We will release it when we are ready. The campaign is seven months long. It is not for two months,” Abdullahi told Daily Sun.
While the ADC is dealing with litigation and organisational questions, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) said it was intensifying efforts to reconcile members and establish what it described as “unity of purpose and oneness” ahead of the elections.
The NDC National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, said the party was working to resolve internal differences while simultaneously expanding its support base across the country.
“We are doing our best to ensure unity of purpose and oneness so that we can focus on the task ahead. As an opposition party, we are willing to work with anyone who shares our vision,” Director said.
He added that the party remained open to working with other political parties and groups that shared its political objectives ahead of the 2027 elections.
However, internal disputes continue to affect opposition parties at the state level.
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In Sokoto State, litigation concerning control of the party’s executive structure has suffered repeated adjournments and remains unresolved.
In Kaduna State, the state executive has accused the ruling party of sponsoring suits allegedly aimed at frustrating its administrative reorganisation.
The Nasarawa State chapter has also been embroiled in controversy following the suspension of its chairman over alleged anti-party activities.
Party insiders said the continuing legal disputes had distracted some state chapters from establishing the ward-level structures considered essential for effective grassroots mobilisation.
The NDC is also facing internal friction in Oyo State, where aggrieved members have petitioned the National Chairman, Senator Cleopas Moses Zuwoghe, alleging that the conduct of the state leadership has deepened factionalism and mistrust within the chapter.
Copies of the petition were reportedly submitted to the South-West leadership and party leader, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson.
Beyond leadership disputes and litigation, Daily Sun findings indicate that finances and logistics are emerging as additional challenges for opposition parties.
Multiple sources familiar with the development said fundraising had been sluggish, with several state chapters yet to establish functional campaign accounts.
“We remain reliant on the goodwill of individual figures,” one party official said on condition of anonymity. “No coordinated national fundraising apparatus exists.”
The situation contrasts with the growing mobilisation within the APC, which has continued to consolidate its campaign network ahead of the elections.
The party’s Renewed Hope Ambassadors initiative has reportedly deployed more than 4.4 million canvassers across the 36 states and the FCT.
Operating under a coordinated mobilisation framework, the ruling party has also conducted ward-level training and rallies in states including Anambra, Oyo, Akwa Ibom and Ondo.
The widening gap in organisational preparedness could become increasingly significant as the election approaches, with the APC building its grassroots machinery while opposition parties continue to devote considerable attention to resolving internal disputes.
For the opposition, the immediate challenge is therefore twofold: reconciling competing interests within their ranks while simultaneously building the structures, funding networks and grassroots machinery required to compete effectively against an increasingly organised ruling party.
With campaigns now underway, the coming months are expected to test whether the opposition can convert its political alliances and growing public support into a coherent nationwide electoral machine before the 2027 polls.
