By Abdul Abubakar.
Political Correspondent, Headlinenews.News
July 2, 2025
A storm is brewing in Nigeria’s opposition ranks as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has publicly denounced the controversial appointment of former Osun State Governor and ex-Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, as Interim National Secretary of the party. In a strongly worded press release issued by Dr. Musa Isa Matara IQAM, National Publicity Secretary of what he refers to as the “Original ADC,” party stakeholders rejected what they described as an “imposition” lacking constitutional basis, grassroots consultation, or moral legitimacy.
The unfolding development reveals deep fractures within the Nigerian opposition coalition barely two years to the 2027 general elections. While President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) consolidates power, opposition parties appear caught in internal battles, questionable alliances, and elite-driven experiments that risk alienating the grassroots they so desperately need.
A House Divided: ADC Fights Back Against Imposition
In what appears to be a direct response to Aregbesola’s “acceptance speech” as Interim Secretary, the ADC’s leadership—comprising youth leaders, women wings, state executives, and ward coordinators—raised seven key objections, ranging from lack of due process to legal concerns and a warning against political hijack.
“The ADC is not a one-man project,” the release declares, accusing Aregbesola’s faction of bypassing the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), elected officers, and core structures in announcing a new coalition-led leadership.
The statement criticizes what it calls “a top-down recycling of elite political control in progressive clothing,” asserting that democracy must begin with consultation, not poetic rhetoric or political opportunism.
The Bigger Picture: Echoes of Peter Obi’s Labour Party Entry
Observers familiar with Nigeria’s recent political history will recall the entry of Peter Obi into the Labour Party in 2022—a move that, while energizing youth and middle-class voters, sidestepped existing Labour Party structures. The result: ongoing internal conflicts, legal disputes over party leadership, and factional crises that continue to plague the party till today.
Political analysts warn that the ADC may be facing a similar situation, where an opposition coalition seeking to form a formidable front against President Tinubu is trying to ride on an existing party’s structure without internal consensus.
“This is déjà vu for Nigerian politics,” said Dr. Chuka Okonkwo, a political science lecturer at the University of Abuja.
“Hijacking platforms instead of building new consensus only breeds resentment, legal conflict, and long-term instability.”
The Opposition’s Race Against Time
With President Tinubu pushing bold reforms in infrastructure, energy, agriculture, and digital governance, the 2027 electoral map is rapidly taking shape. Yet, the opposition—once hopeful of rallying behind a “Third Force”—appears fractured and increasingly incoherent.
The failed coalition maneuver within the ADC highlights this lack of coordination and trust. Rather than uniting under a credible alternative agenda, opposition elites are seen jockeying for control, sidelining existing structures, and alienating the very base they claim to represent.
“You cannot build a national coalition by burning the house you wish to sleep in,” said Dr. G. Fraser, MFR, strategist and founder of the National Patriots.
“The ADC was a serious platform with ideology and integrity. These forced appointments only cheapen its legacy and raise questions about the sincerity of those pushing them.”
Key Issues Raised by ADC Stakeholders
Lack of Constitutional Legitimacy: No NEC meeting, ratification, or formal process backed Aregbesola’s appointment.
False Coalition Narrative: The claim that ADC has become the opposition coalition’s platform is unsubstantiated.
Unresolved Legal Crises: ADC internal legal disputes post-2023 elections remain active in court.
Youth & Grassroots Marginalization: No consultation with ADC youth, women leaders, or state executives.
Warning to Incoming “Coalitionists”: ADC is “not for sale,” stakeholders warn.
Imposition vs. Democracy: The process contradicts democratic principles it claims to champion.
Implications for 2027 and Beyond
If the opposition continues on this path of disunity and elite imposition, it may face a crushing defeat in 2027—not because Nigerians support the APC unconditionally, but because no credible, united, and organic alternative is visible.
President Tinubu’s administration, despite early economic pains, is beginning to score wins—particularly in food security, infrastructure rollout, and international diplomacy. For many Nigerians, a divided and opportunistic opposition is not an attractive option.
Conclusion: The ADC’s Stand May Set a Precedent
The ADC’s rejection of an elite-imposed leadership marks a bold stand for internal democracy in a political culture often plagued by transactional arrangements. In doing so, it sends a strong message to other opposition elements: you cannot build a people’s movement by excluding the people.
If the opposition wants to truly challenge the APC in 2027, it must begin with humility, grassroots re-engagement, and transparent leadership selection—not executive declarations wrapped in revolutionary language.
The house is divided—long before it is even built.
Notable Quotes
“Democracy must begin with consultation, not imposition.”
— Dr. Musa Isa Matara, ADC Publicity Secretary
“The ADC is not for sale. It belongs to its members, not political merchants or elite dealmakers.”
— Statement by Concerned ADC Stakeholders
“True opposition must be rooted in credibility, not desperation.”
— Ayo Daramola, political commentator
“Internal democracy is the soul of party legitimacy. Undermine it, and you lose the people.”
— INEC Commissioner (anonymous), Abuja
Headlinenews.news Special report.
© Headlinenews.News, 2025
All rights reserved. Reproduction only with attribution.
RE: ADC IS NOT A ONE-MAN PROJECT — A RESPONSE TO RAUF AREGBESOLA’S “ACCEPTANCE SPEECH”
Dear Party Leaders, Members, and Fellow Nigerians,
While we appreciate the enthusiasm with which Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has delivered his acceptance speech as Interim National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), we must urgently and firmly reject the premise and process behind this appointment — an appointment that lacks due process, transparency, and the broad-based legitimacy expected in a democratic political party.
The ADC is not a private coalition platform to be hijacked by any elite group or individuals—regardless of how eloquent or ideologically polished their speeches may sound. Our party has structures, leadership organs, youth and women wings, and constitutional guidelines—none of which were consulted or respected in the announcement of this so-called “appointment.”
Key Points of Objection:
1. No Legitimate Mandate:
Who appointed Gov. Aregbesola? Which organ of the ADC ratified this appointment? Was the National Executive Committee (NEC) involved? Were state chairmen, youth leaders, and elected national officers consulted?
If the answer is no—as it clearly is—then this “appointment” is null and void.
2. False Coalition Claims:
The claim that the ADC has become the “platform of the National Opposition Coalition Group” is misleading. Our millions of members have not been informed or carried along in this so-called coalition. If anyone is attempting to force an opposition merger without grassroots consent, they are trampling on democratic ethics and party sovereignty.
3. Legal Crisis Still Unresolved:
Let it be known to those who are trooping into our party under this chaotic coalition arrangement that the ADC has been battling unresolved legal crises since the 2023 general elections. These matters remain in court and unresolved. Any coalition attempt built on such shaky legal ground is irresponsible and potentially self-destructive.
4. Incoming Members Must Be Cautious:
We warn those coming into the ADC as part of this imposed arrangement to tread carefully. Be mindful that some few individuals are attempting to sell out the soul of our party for personal gain. The ADC is not for sale. It belongs to its members, not political merchants or elite dealmakers.
5. Legacy of Undemocratic Culture:
Ironically, the speech talks about internal democracy, ideological discipline, and inclusiveness—yet the very process by which Gov. Aregbesola emerges contradicts every word he just spoke. Democracy cannot begin with imposition. The ADC must not become another replica of the broken parties we seek to replace.
6. Party Supremacy Does Not Mean Silence:
The idea that “the party must be supreme” cannot be used as a tool to silence dissent or sideline authentic party stakeholders. Party supremacy begins with consultation and consensus, not executive pronouncements disguised as patriotic rhetoric.
7. Our Youth Are Watching:
For a speech that claims to care about youth inclusion, where was the youth wing of the ADC in all this? Were youth leaders, women leaders, or even ward structures consulted? Or is this just another top-down recycling of elite political control in progressive clothing?
Our Stand:
We stand firmly on the side of accountable leadership, transparent decision-making, and a people-powered party structure. Any process that excludes the very people it claims to serve is undemocratic and must be challenged.
We call on all genuine stakeholders of the ADC—across states, zones, and demographic groups—to reject this attempted takeover of our party.
We are not opposed to coalitions.
We are not opposed to reform.
But we are opposed to hijack, to imposition, and to speeches that sound revolutionary but hide elitist intentions beneath poetic language.
Until a legitimate, constitutionally-backed ADC National Convention or NEC confirms leadership changes, no one has the moral or legal right to speak for our party nationally.
Long live ADC.
Long live the voices of true democracy.
Long live the grassroots members who will not be silenced.
Signed,
Concerned Stakeholders of the ADC
—Youth Leaders, Women Leaders, State Party Executives, and Ward Coordinators Nationwide
📍July 1st, 2025
Dr. Musa Isa Matara IQAM
National Publicity Secretary, ADC (Original)
