ADC begins preparations for 2027 manifesto development

ADC begins preparations for 2027 manifesto development

As speculation mounts over who will clinch the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential ticket for the 2027 general elections, the party’s leadership has emphasized that its immediate focus is on establishing a strong ideological foundation rather than endorsing any particular candidate for the nation’s highest office.

Despite increasing support for prominent political figures such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, and former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, the ADC’s interim leadership has dismissed what it calls “premature agitations” surrounding the race.

Interim National Chairman David Mark has repeatedly maintained that the newly formed coalition has not endorsed any presidential hopeful, even amid reports suggesting Atiku, Obi, and Amaechi are leading contenders for the party’s 2027 ticket.

Responding to allegations from the ADC’s 2023 presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu—who accused the Mark-led leadership of favouring Atiku—Mark assured Nigerians that the party would remain transparent and impartial. He reiterated, “The ADC has no preferred or favoured presidential aspirant. Our priority is to build a credible platform that resonates with the majority of Nigerians.”

We are doing this because we do not want this great ship called Nigeria to sink, because if we do not rise, and now, they will sink all of us.

“I don’t own this party more than any of our members, and I urge all members to prepare to show Nigerians that ADC is a different party.”

Addressing the continued agitations on the party’s presidential candidate on Thursday, interim National Publicity Secretary of ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the party was focused on crafting a unified manifesto to which all candidates, irrespective of status, must adhere.

Abdullahi said the party was poised not to toe the line of what he described as “aberration” where candidates, upon their emergence as standard bearers, begin to craft their manifesto not guided by their party.

The ADC publicity secretary avowed that the party was poised to structure a strong political party that disciplined its members and ensured that its members aligned with the party’s ideals.

Abdullahi said, “ADC is building a strong political party that can discipline its members. That’s where other parties got it wrong. A party must be able to discipline its members.

“In the Second Republic, no matter how useless a Unity Party of Nigeria governor was, he must do free education, that’s an example of a party that’s able to discipline its members, no matter how highly placed, that’s what we are trying to build.

“I’ll give you one indicator, normally, when a candidate emerges on the platform of a political party, whether contesting for the office of governor or President, that’s when the individual candidate will start talking about how he will develop his manifesto, but that’s an aberration.

“What the ADC is doing now is to develop its manifesto and programme that addresses the needs of the Nigerian people. So, whoever is elected under the party platform, the party is the one handing the candidate the party manifesto and holding the candidate accountable based on that alone.”

On when the ADC would pick its presidential candidate, Abdullahi reiterated focus on building the party but stated that it had one eye on aligning with the guidelines and calendar of the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Abdullahi added that the ADC would provide a transparent process guided by INEC’s timetable and would not “pick” candidates behind closed doors.

“We are not going to pick a candidate. We are going to provide a level playing field for all aspirants in a transparent manner that will inspire the confidence of all concerned,” Abdullahi added.

“We are new and strengthening the party, nobody is having the conversation about who will be the party bearer, the most important thing is to build a strong political party that will be able to provide a very virile opposition and give hope to Nigerians.

“Who will be the party bearer is a question that will be answered down the line. When that time comes, we are sure that justice will be done to everyone and everyone has had the opportunity to express themselves.”

Despite this position, agitation within the party continues, with supporters of Atiku and Obi already pushing for an early endorsement. There are reports that Atiku’s camp is lobbying Obi to accept a vice-presidential slot to strengthen the party’s electoral chances.

However, this has drawn sharp criticism from former ADC presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, who warned Obi against playing second fiddle in any alliance.

At a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, Kachikwu described such a move as politically immoral and a betrayal of the South’s rightful claim to the Presidency after eight years of northern rule under former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The politician described any such alliance as unjust and politically immoral, especially in light of Nigeria’s power rotation dynamics.

“It is morally right for anybody from a major party running for 2027 to be from the South. It is equitable. That is all we ask,” he said.

The ADC chieftain accused northern political actors of plotting to retain power in the region even though the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, a northerner, spent eight years in office before the current administration.

“In the last two weeks, they have been boasting, insulting, and saying they want to chase President Bola Tinubu from office. The question I always ask people around me is, at the end of all the insults being passed on to the President, what next?”

Kachikwu expressed concern over alleged attempts to manipulate Obi into accepting a vice-presidential slot under Atiku.

“Instead, what we are seeing is recruiting people around Peter Obi to keep singing into his ears that he can’t do it. They are striving to convince him to instead accept to become Atiku’s vice presidential candidate.

“What manner of rubbish is that? He must not accept it. That is their strategy,” he said.

Backing Obi’s credentials to stand independently, Kachikwu added, “Obi has all it takes to aspire and win an election. He has the brain. They told me that too, that as an Igbo man, I don’t have what it takes to become President. Why? Don’t I pay my taxes? So, why can’t I aspire for the highest office in the land?”

He stressed that any political coalition aimed at unseating Tinubu must originate from the South and be grounded in equity and national unity.

Kachikwu also slammed efforts to hijack the ADC structure through inducements, alleging that some state chairmen were being offered bribes to step down.

“They are offering some of the state chairmen as much as N20m to resign their positions, which goes to show that their intentions are not honourable,” he alleged.

According to him, even if such payoffs succeeded, the party’s constitution would still not permit outsiders to assume those positions, rendering the plot futile.

He accused Atiku of orchestrating the scheme for personal gain, citing historical instances to back his claims.

Kachikwu added, “He almost truncated ex-President (Olusegun) Obasanjo’s return for a second term because he believed the seat was his. Former President (Goodluck) Jonathan suffered the same fate. It was most unjust and unfair and led to the current disintegration of that party.”

He challenged Atiku to publicly endorse the Presidency remaining in the South if he believed people misunderstood the mission.

“If the former Vice President says my assertions are not true, I challenge him today to publicly declare that equity demands that the Presidency should stay in the South for another six years.

“He can then support any southern candidate of his choice. But I know he will never do this. The ADC is not for sale and is not an old people’s home. This current political war is not our fight.

“If you want to pursue your political ambition, stay and solve the problem in your party. I stayed to build my party; they should also stay and build theirs,” he warned.

In a move to solidify his ties with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), former Vice President Atiku Abubakar officially resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday.

In a letter dated July 14 and addressed to the PDP chairman in his Jada 1 Ward, Jada Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Atiku attributed his exit to the party’s departure from its founding ideals.

“I find it necessary to part ways due to the current trajectory the party has taken, which I believe diverges from the foundational principles we stood for,” he wrote.

“It is with a heavy heart that I resign, recognising the irreconcilable differences that have emerged.”

Atiku’s resignation is expected to trigger a wave of defections to the ADC, with veteran journalist and former presidential aspirant Dele Momodu among the first to follow suit.

In a letter dated July 17, 2025, and addressed to the chairman of PDP Ward 4 in Ihievbe, Owan East Local Government Area of Edo State, Momodu also announced his resignation from the party. He cited the takeover of the PDP by what he termed “antidemocratic forces” as his reason for leaving.

He described the move, which takes immediate effect, as a necessary step to preserve democratic values.