By Jane Okafor, Abuja
While the diviners are yet to drop their divination board on the mat to tell the uncertain future that awaits the just adopted African Democratic Congress (ADC) as the political party for the coalition against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027, critical ADC stakeholders have swiftly rejected the emergence of former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola as the party’s Interim National Secretary.
The stakeholders also vehemently kicked against the attempted hijacking of the party structure through a sudden meeting where, allegedly, they were neither in attendance nor their inputs sought.
The stakeholders also expressed serious concern that no provision was made for the youths, women and others in the new arrangement, warning that given also the number of litigations plaguing the ADC since the conduct of 2023 general elections, it would be unwise to railroad the party into any coalition or merger amid the yet – to – be court cases.
In a release on Wednesday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Musa Isa Matara, led a faction of the party in condemning what they considered as an “unauthorised attempt” to impose Aregbesola and hijack the party’s leadership structure.
A number of people are worried that this development portends deepening internal divisions that could derail broader efforts to unite opposition parties ahead of future elections and subsequent push to oust Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) from power in 2027.
However, Matara noted that while the ADC was not averse to alliances and reforms, it would not tolerate imposition and power grabs cloaked as progress.
He cautioned against what he called “revolutionary rhetoric masking elite interests,” noting that no legitimate party process had ratified Aregbesola’s appointment.
In the statement, Matara stated that Aregbesola’s installation was not approved by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), State chairpersons, or any of its duly elected national officers.
The stakeholders claimed that the move bypassed due process and undermined internal party democracy.
They also took exception to the claims that the ADC now serves as the platform for a new opposition coalition, saying that such a declaration is premature and lacks the consent of the majority of party members.
“The ADC is not anyone’s bargaining chip. Any merger or coalition built on shaky legal and constitutional ground will only lead to further instability,” the statement reads.
They further alleged that some individuals within the party were working to hand over control to outsiders for personal gain, warning prospective members of the risks involved in joining under the current circumstances.
“ADC is owned by its grassroots members, not political dealmakers..The integrity and sovereignty of the party cannot be traded for convenience or expediency,” the party said.
The statement, titled “ADC is not a one-man project: A response to Rauf Aregbesola’s acceptance speech”, also dismissed the claim that the ADC has become the adopted platform for a national opposition coalition.
“While we appreciate the enthusiasm with which Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has delivered his acceptance speech as Interim National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress, 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.
“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,” the statement read.
