Eshioromeh Sebastian, Abuja
In a display of political force rarely seen since the 2023 general elections, a coalition of opposition heavyweights on Tuesday stormed the national capital, declaring an all-out political war on President Bola Tinubu’s quest for a second term in 2027.
The declaration came at the national convention of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) held in Abuja, themed ‘So That Nigeria May Work.’
The event was headlined by the party’s embattled National Chairman and former Senate President, David Mark, but featured a roster of political titans including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Governors Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Peter Obi (Anambra), and Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers).
For hours, the opposition leaders took turns tearing into the Tinubu-led administration, accusing it of overseeing an unprecedented collapse of security, a crippling economic hardship, and an autocratic style of governance that has turned opposition into an offence.
The most fiery remarks came from Aregbesola, a former ally of President Tinubu and ex-Minister of Interior, who stunned the convention floor by directly calling for the President’s resignation.
“Ordinarily, having made such a promise and fared woefully, an honest president should simply step down and not seek re-election,” Aregbesola declared, drawing thunderous applause from over 3,000 delegates.
He warned that the era of political godfathers dictating the nation’s leadership was over. “There will be no automatic or ceremonial ascension to power in the Presidential Villa in 2027. There will be no coronation in 2027. There will be no Kabiyesi in the Presidential Villa come 2027,” the ex-Tinubu ally railed, describing the President’s governance style as autocratic.
Aregbesola painted a picture of daily survival, noting that transportation costs have risen so sharply that it is now impractical for some workers to commute to work. “People who deliberately split the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are today being falsely roped in as political strategists. Since when has criminality become a strategy?” he asked.
Atiku: ‘Our Economy, Sovereignty is Gone’
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who has now pitched his tent with the ADC coalition after a tumultuous exit from the PDP, directed his anger at the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, accusing him of being used to undermine democracy.
“I remember when the APC was being formed, the entire political leadership in this country came to my house. They literally compelled me to join the APC,” Atiku recounted. “Only for us to enter the APC, our economy is gone, our sovereignty is gone, our security is gone, our education is gone, and our infrastructure is gone. The healthcare is gone.”
The former VP vowed that INEC would not be allowed to rig the next election. “Let the chairman know we are not going to let him get away with his illegalities. We will not,” Atiku said, adding, “Now, we must rise and make sure that there is change, genuine change.”
Obi and Amaechi: Unity Against a ‘Divided’ Nigeria
Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate who has since aligned with the ADC coalition, stressed that the country is collapsing under President Tinubu’s watch. “The country is so divided; we need unity. The present government has ensured that it will remain more divided,” Obi stated.
He pointed to global terrorism indices, claiming that when the current administration came into power, Nigeria was ranked number eight in terrorism. “Your country is collapsing, and if you allow it to go further, it will be worse,” he warned.
Former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi was characteristically blunt, lampooning the President’s democratic credentials. “How can a man who said he is a democrat, who claimed he fought on the side of NADECO, be stopping democracy? These guys don’t care. What they care about is money,” Amaechi said.
He accused the Tinubu administration of using state institutions to weaponize against citizens. “If you, Nigerians, are not angry and hungry, I am. The situation is bad. It’s terrible. And if you think President Tinubu will give you power, you are wasting your time,” Amaechi added, urging the ADC to present a single, viable candidate.
Mark: ‘We Cannot Be Litigated Into Silence’
Speaking as the host and newly affirmed National Chairman of the ADC, David Mark declared that the party belongs to the Nigerian people and cannot be wished away by court cases or INEC maneuvers.
“I say to those who orchestrated these obstacles: you have not weakened us; you have welded us together,” Mark said. “Every attempt to suppress this party has only deepened the resolve of our members, widened our coalition, and reminded Nigerians why a strong opposition is not optional; it is essential to democracy’s survival.”
Mark pledged that in the ADC, the constitution would be supreme and no member, no matter how highly placed, would be bigger than the party. “The resources of Nigeria will be deployed in the service of the majority of Nigerians. We will invest in our people, make them more productive and more competitive,” he promised.
Factional Crisis Deepens
Despite the show of unity among the opposition generals, the ADC remains deeply fractured. The convention was dismissed by a rival faction led by Nafiu Bala, who described the event as “a mockery and a joke.”
Bala’s Chief of Staff, Bala Sani, told newsmen that the faction is lawfully waiting for the Supreme Court’s judgment before holding its own convention. “On our part, we are following the judgment of the Court of Appeal. We cannot do things outside the court’s directives,” Sani said.
The party is currently split into three factions: one led by Mark (the coalition bloc), another led by Gombe, and a third backed by the 2023 ADC presidential candidate Dumebi Kachikwu.
Legal Battles Loom
The political war is also playing out in the judiciary. The Supreme Court has fixed April 22, 2026, for the hearing of an appeal arising from the ADC leadership crisis filed by David Mark.
Simultaneously, a Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday ordered all parties in a separate suit challenging the ADC’s leadership structure to maintain the status quo ante bellum. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik warned parties against taking any steps that could render the court’s proceedings nugatory.
As the 2027 election cycle begins to heat up, Tuesday’s convention in Abuja signaled that despite legal obstacles and factional fights, a united opposition is determined to test the strength of President Tinubu’s political structure in what promises to be a fiercely contested battle for the soul of Nigeria.
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