The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has dismissed the collapse of the opposition coalition as a major obstacle to its 2027 presidential bid and insisted that its candidate, Atiku Abubakar, can defeat President Bola Tinubu without a united opposition ticket.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, made the declaration on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, five months before the presidential election.
Abdullahi acknowledged that the coalition initially assembled to challenge the All Progressives Congress (APC) had not developed as planned. The movement suffered a major setback in May when former Anambra State governor Peter Obi and former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso left the ADC for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
“When we started building this coalition, we started on an assumption that if we were able to build a broad-based coalition, it would make our job of beating the APC easy. That didn’t pan out the way we expected,” Abdullahi said.
READ RELATED NEWS UPDATES
ADC warns Tinubu over El-Rufai’s continued detention
ADC flags election credibility risks, seeks INEC answers
ADC primary rift: Atiku meets Hayatu-Deen for reconciliation
Despite the split, he expressed confidence in Atiku’s prospects and rejected the suggestion that the former vice-president’s campaign depended on bringing every major opposition figure under one platform.
Asked whether Atiku could lead the ADC to victory without the proposed alliance, Abdullahi replied: “I believe so, and that’s our thinking, and that’s what we are working with.”
The party’s position does not, however, signal an end to discussions with other opposition groups. Abdullahi disclosed that talks were continuing, but the emphasis had shifted from selecting one presidential candidate to identifying practical areas of cooperation.
“We are still having conversations among ourselves, opposition political parties,” he said.
He added that possible collaboration could include election monitoring and protecting votes.
The ADC has already settled its presidential ticket, with former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi selected as Atiku’s running mate. The party formally announced Amaechi’s selection in June.
The political contest has taken a different shape from the coalition arrangement that brought several opposition figures together. Obi and Kwankwaso are now with the NDC, while Atiku heads the ADC ticket against Tinubu, who is seeking another term on the APC platform.
The presidential campaign season opened on August 19, while the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections have been fixed for January 16. INEC’s official calendar also places the governorship and State House of Assembly elections on February 6, 2027.
With the opposition now divided across competing platforms, the ADC’s claim that Atiku can win without a coalition places greater weight on its own campaign machinery, voter mobilisation, and ability to convert support into votes at polling units.
