The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has declared that it does not require any opposition coalition to defeat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, expressing strong confidence in its candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
In an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, ADC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi stated that the party is fully prepared to secure victory on its own strength.
“We are going to win. We don’t need a coalition to win this election. The African Democratic Congress does not need a coalition to win this election,” Abdullahi said. He added that while a broad-based coalition could ease the task, it is not essential: “If we are able to build the kind of coalition that we started to build, maybe to make our job easier, but we don’t need that coalition. We don’t necessarily need the coalition to win the election.”
Abdullahi emphasized that elections are won at the polling units through grassroots mobilisation and public trust, not through media alliances. He expressed belief that Atiku possesses the experience, national spread, private-sector background, and clear economic blueprint needed to defeat Tinubu, pointing to widespread hardship under the current administration as a key factor that will shift voter preferences.
The ADC’s position comes amid ongoing realignments in the opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections. Earlier coalition efforts involving multiple opposition figures fractured, with Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso exiting the ADC platform and aligning with the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), where they are pursuing a joint presidential ticket.
In a parallel development, the OK Movement a platform mobilising support for the Obi-Kwankwaso joint ticket has firmly rejected any merger with external political organisations.
In a communiqué issued after its national leadership summit in Abuja, the group, which draws supporters from the Obidient Movement and Kwankwasiyya, resolved to remain independent. “The Summit resolves that the OK Movement shall remain an independent organisation and shall not be merged into or absorbed by any external political body,” the statement read. It added that independence does not preclude coordination with allied groups on shared goals, while also rejecting rumours of moves to remove its Director-General and founder, John Ughulu.
The dual announcements underscore the fragmented state of Nigeria’s opposition as the 2027 elections approach. While the ADC insists it can challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) independently under Atiku, the OK Movement is prioritising organisational autonomy around the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket under the NDC.
Political observers note that the absence of a unified opposition front could shape the electoral landscape, with multiple major tickets potentially splitting anti-incumbent votes.