By Francis Ugwu
Africa-Press – Nigeria. As political activities gradually gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections, the African Democratic Congress, ADC, is facing a tough time.
The ADC, once touted by some political observers as a potential rallying platform for disenchanted blocs, is grappling with internal and external headwinds.
From electoral disappointment and arrests, the road to 2027 appears increasingly steep.
FCT election setbacks
The recent FCT area council elections exposed structural weaknesses within the ADC’s political machinery. Despite high-decibel campaigns and visible media engagement, the party failed to translate its visibility into electoral victories across key councils.
For a party seeking to anchor a broader opposition movement, the FCT setback may serve as an early warning signal.
Analysts argue that while the ADC attempted to position itself as a credible alternative to the dominant parties, its grassroots mobilization fell short.
Some political watchers had noted that the FCT council elections offered the ADC an opportunity to test its readiness for 2027.
However, the outcome raised concerns about its organizational depth, voter penetration and coalition-building capacity.
Commenting about the FCT elections, veteran journalist and former presidential aide, Dr. Reuben Abati, said the ADC failed to translate its campaign efforts into electoral success in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, area council elections.
Abati made the remarks on Monday while speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show.
He said the outcome of the elections in Abuja showed that the contests had largely been decided, noting that political parties must begin to reassess their strategies ahead of future polls.
“We just hope that all the stakeholders, including the ADC that put up shows in Abuja and got nothing, will learn from this and all the parties will strategize.
“What that will imply in the future is something we cannot say,” Abati said.
DAILY POST also reported that former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Chidi Odinkalu, criticised opposition political parties and leaders over their handling of the FCT elections, describing them as ineffective and disorganised.
Speaking on Politics Today on Channels Television on Monday, Odinkalu said the opposition failed to demonstrate leadership at a critical moment.
Odinkalu described the opposition as “an utter disgrace,” stating that the current political climate reflects a lack of seriousness among parties expected to provide checks on the ruling government.
“It’s difficult to speak to the ineptitude of political opposition in Nigeria. They are not serious.
“And I think anybody who looks at the system, has got to say at the moment, there is absolutely no opposition,” Odinkalu said.
El-Rufai’s incarceration by ICPC, EFCC, DSS
Last week, the political climate in the country intensified following the arrest and detention of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, by anti-corruption and security agencies including the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Department of State Services, DSS.
Although the ruling All Progressives Congress maintains that such actions are part of ongoing investigations and institutional mandates, opposition voices have described the move as politically charged.
Some supporters have also argued that the timing raises questions, especially as alignments and realignments intensify ahead of 2027.
Although highly controversial, El-Rufai is seen by many as one of the key leaders of the ADC capable of turning the heat on President Bola Tinubu’s reelection.
His arrest has since unsettled the party.
DAILY POST reported that former vice President Atiku Abubakar on Tuesday warned that the health and welfare of Nasir El-Rufai is a matter of grave concern to his family, friends, and associates.
Atiku’s warning to the government came after it was reported that El-Rufai bled through the nose over the weekend.
However, in a statement via X on Tuesday, Atiku said that the Federal Government owes Nigerians clarity.
According to Atiku, “the government has a constitutional duty to guarantee El-Rufai’s safety, dignity, access to medical care, and access to his family and legal representatives.
“Reports that he suffered a nosebleed while family members were allegedly denied access are deeply troubling and unacceptable in a democracy.
“If the authorities cannot guarantee his health and fundamental rights, the lawful and humane course of action is to grant him bail without delay. If anything happens to El-Rufai, this government will be held accountable.”
Meanwhile, DAILY POST recalls that weeks ago, former Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, Abubakar Malami, also a chieftain of the ADC, was equally arrested and detained by the EFCC.
Enugu govt’s N150m fee for political campaign ads
In what has generated widespread discussion, the Enugu State Structures for Signage and Advertisement Agency (ENSSAA) on Monday announced a mandatory N150 million permit fee for political campaign advertising ahead of the 2026 and 2027 elections.
The policy, introduced under the administration of Governor Peter Mbah, has been defended as a regulatory measure aimed at maintaining order and ensuring compliance with state advertising laws.
However, opposition parties view the fee as prohibitive, arguing that it disproportionately affects smaller parties like the ADC.
DAILY POST reported that the Enugu State chapter of the ADC kicked against the mandatory fee.
The party described the campaign advertising permit fee as unlawful, unconstitutional and undemocratic.
ADC accused the ruling APC in Enugu State of inventing the fee to shut out the opposition parties from contesting the coming elections in the state.
In a press release signed by Paul Anigbogu on behalf of Enugu ADC Media Team, the opposition party accused the state Government of trying to usurp the powers of the federal government by imposing the “illegal” advertising permit fee, in total contravention of the Constitution of Nigeria.
“We totally reject this fee and will not hesitate to challenge it in court, if the state government fails to rescind the illegal and unconstitutional financial obstruction placed on the way of political parties and candidates vying for local government election and general elections in Enugu State,” part of the statement read.
Alleged assassination attempt on Peter Obi
On Tuesday, tensions escalated further with reports of an alleged assassination attempt on former presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi.
Dr Yunusa Tanko, National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, issued a statement from Abuja confirming the attack.
Tanko said the incident occurred shortly after the formal declaration of senior lawyer, Olumide Akpata as a member of the ADC.
Armed men, he said, trailed the group from the ADC Secretariat directly to Chief Odigie-Oyegun’s private residence, where they shot at the gate and several vehicles parked within the compound.
“Peter Obi and the leadership of the ADC are under siege and attack in Benin, Edo State.
“They shot at the gate and destroyed several vehicles in what appears to be a survived assassination attempt on our lives. Democracy is in danger,” Tanko said wrote.
Shortly after the incident was made public, many supporters of the party took to social media, describing the development as alarming and symptomatic of rising political hostility.
DAILY POST reports that Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, now in ADC, whose strong showing at the polls and subsequent legal battle kept him at the centre of Nigerian opposition politics, remains one of the most recognisable faces of the movement challenging the current administration.
Newly signed 2026 Electoral Act
Adding another dimension to the unfolding drama is the newly signed 2026 Electoral Act, which introduced both manual and electronic transmission of election results.
The opposition figures claim that the proviso provided in the act for manual transmission of election results may inadvertently favor rigging and manipulation of results.
In a statement issued on Thursday and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party described the President’s approval of the amendment as a setback to credible elections in the country.
According to the opposition party, the amendment introduces ambiguity and grants excessive discretion in the collation and transmission of election results, which it warned could weaken public confidence in future elections.
The ADC also expressed concern that the absence of firm guarantees for electronic transparency could heighten tension during elections, as citizens might feel compelled to remain at polling units to safeguard their votes.
“As a duly constituted political party in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, following the actions taken by President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday, 18th February, the ADC affirms in the strongest and clearest possible terms that we are ready, willing, and prepared to defend the sanctity of Nigeria’s democracy using every constitutional and lawful means available to us.
“We will mobilise Nigerians toward vigilance, toward lawful participation, and toward unity in defence of their constitutional rights,” the party said.
Nigeria lacks coordinated opposition — Analyst
Meanwhile, a public affairs analyst and communication expert at Peaceland University, Enugu, Nduka Odo, has said Nigeria currently lacks a structured and coordinated opposition capable of challenging the ruling APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Odo made the assertion during an interview with DAILY POST on Tuesday, stating that recent political developments in the country had validated his earlier position that there was no formidable opposition in place.
According to him, isolated voices cannot be described as a political opposition, noting that effective opposition required force, momentum and coordination.
He described the ADC as a “sketch” of what an opposition party should be, pointing to its performance in the recent Abuja elections as evidence that the party was yet to fully establish itself as a credible alternative.
Odo said the outcome of the Abuja polls should serve as an early warning to the ADC to reorganize before 2027.
The analyst also criticised the party’s response to the passage of the controversial electoral act amendment bill, arguing that the ADC failed to take meaningful action.
Odo said that if the APC were in opposition, it would have mobilised protests at the National Assembly and escalated the issue to international media platforms such as CNN and BBC, accusing the ruling party of attempting to manipulate the 2027 elections.
He further stated that the ADC appears divided and lacks internal cohesion, alleging that its leaders do not seem united or fully committed to building a strong opposition platform.
Odo said: “Recent activities in the country have proven what I’ve said somewhere else. There’s no opposition in Nigeria right now.
“Lone voices don’t constitute political opposition. That’s what the likes of Peter Obi are today. An opposition needs force, momentum, coordination.
“ADC is currently a sketch of what an opposition should be. This showed up in the recent Abuja elections. It was an early warning to ADC to put its acts together before 2027.
“The fact that ADC did nothing worthwhile when the lawmakers passed the obviously controversial electoral act amendment tells you that the party still has a long way to go. We all watched what Benjamin Kalu, the deputy speaker, did, ignoring house members who called for order.
“The members wanted to know what was in the bill, but he kept going. If APC was in the opposition, they’d have besieged the House of Reps.
“They would still be protesting against the passage of the electoral act. They would be in CNN and BBC, narrating how the ruling party has perfected a means to glitch’ 2027 election.
“But ADC is not doing any of that. It feels like ADC hasn’t really formed into a single united body. They don’t seem yet to know what to agree on. The leaders don’t seem to trust each other. It seems they all have one leg in and one leg out.
“And APC understands this. I once predicted that the PDP would die before the 2027 election. It’s almost done. My only shocker is that of LP, which didn’t truly survive the scourge of Lamidi Apapa.
“A similar scourge seems to await ADC. And I saw the fingers of the ruling party in the ailment of LP. I also see their fingers in the jaundiced stand of ADC.
“The continued gulping of the opposition by the ruling party, through whatever strategy, is dangerous to our nascent democracy. You can’t make every elected leader jump over to the ruling party.
“The members of the legislature, the primary arm of the government, responsible for checking the excesses of the executive, singing the sycophantic anthem of the president, on the floor of legislation, in place of the National Anthem, it’s absurd and anti-democratic.
“Oppositionsim is an ideal that goes beyond the quest to takeover power. We need structured opposition back for sanity to return to governance in Nigeria.”
Source: Daily Post Nigeria
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