The Interim National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), David Mark, has said the coalition of some opposition leaders, which fused into the party, is determined to unseat President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027 and offer Nigerians alternative government.
Mr Mark stated this during the unveiling of the ADC as the platform for the coalition in Abuja on Wednesday.
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The National Opposition Coalition Group spearheaded by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar had adopted the ADC at a meeting in Abuja on Tuesday night.
Mr Mark, who was Nigeria’s senate president between 2007 and 2015, was appointed the interim national chairman while a former governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, was named the interim national secretary.
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A former Youth and Sport Minister, Bolaji Abdullahi, was named the spokesperson of the party.
All ADC national officers, including its National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, had earlier resigned their positions to allow for the emergence of the new leaders of the party.
However, a faction of ADC members, including youth and women leaders, rejected the appointments, calling them unconstitutional and lacking proper approval. They insisted the party is not for sale and that no valid national convention or NEC endorsed the changes.
ADC’presidential candidate in 2023, Dumebi Kachikwu, also condemned the takeover, saying the coalition violated party rules.
Despite the opposition, the Forum of ADC State chairmen backed the coalition and said internal legal issues had been resolved in court.
Other promoters of the coalition, apart from Atiku, include former Governors Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, Rotimi Amsechi (Rivers), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Gabriel Suswam (Benue) and several others.
Coalition to rescue Nigeria
Mr Mark said the coalition brings together political leaders from across party lines with a goal to rescue Nigeria from worsening insecurity, economic hardship, and alleged misgovernance under the APC-led administration.
“This coalition is determined to offer Nigerians a path to security, prosperity, peace and progress. Coming from various party affiliations, we are united in our resol ve to present a constructive alternative to the hardship, insecurity and waste that has become the hallmark of the current APC government,” he said.
Mr Mark described the the APC-led government as the most corrupt in Nigeria’s democratic history.
He accused the government of abandoning governance in favour of endless politicking while failing to address the suffering of ordinary citizens.
“We have never seen a government so much at home with corruption, a government that disdains accountability in all ramifications. A government more concerned with the next election rather than the survival of the ordinary Nigerians. A government so totally consumed with politicking that governance is abandoned, while the majority of our people wallow in hunger and poverty,” he said.
Mr Mark lamented the increasing cases of killings, banditry, and kidnappings, which he said the government has failed to address with urgency.
“We have never seen this level of insecurity across the length and breadth of our nation. Bandits and kidnappers kill Nigerians at will and on daily basis. Yet, this ongoing tragedy has not moved the government to any action that would stop these mindless killings and stem the tide of needless bloodshed. Indeed, the Nigerian people deserve a government that protects them and make them feel safe in their own homes.”
He therefore, called on Nigerians regardless of age, class, gender, or ethnicity to join the coalition and help steer the country away from its current path.
“This coalition is therefore for all Nigerians who share in our belief that all of us, the young and the old, man and woman, rich and poor, living with disabilities or not, town dwellers or villagers, we all have the patriotic duty to save our country. Accordingly, to all suffering Nigerians who are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet; for whom the next meal is not guaranteed, this coalition is for you.
“To all those citizens who believe that Nigeria’s democracy is worth fighting for, this coalition is for you. To all youth who face uncertain future and have questioned the value of their education and their certificates, this coalition is for you.
“To all our brothers and sisters in Benue, Niger, Plateau, Zamfara, Sokoto, Borno, Katsina, Kaduna, Edo, parts of the South East, South West, South-South who live under constant fear of violence and terror, who have lost a father, a mother, a child, a husband, a wife, this coalition is for you.
“To all our citizens, who believe that they deserve better, who have been promised much and given so little, for whom renewed hope has turned to renewed hopelessness, this is your coalition and we welcome you all to join us and be a part of this historic rescue mission,” the ADC interim leader stated.
Mission of the coalition
Beyond the 2027 elections, Mr Mark said the coalition’s mission is to rebuild Nigeria’s democratic institutions, restore citizens’ trust in governance, and hand over a more just society to future generations.
“Our mission transcends any electoral calendar. It is a commitment to rebuild the guardrails of our democracy, to anchor power once again in the will of the people, and to hand to our children a nation worthy of their talents and their dreams.
READ ALSO: Ex-ADC presidential candidate slams Atiku, David Mark, others over adoption of party
“So, stand with us. Join this house. Let history record that when our democracy faltered, we rose, not in fear, but in faith.”
Venue cancellation
Prominent politicians attended the event held at the Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.
It was initially billed to hold at Wells Carlton Hotels &Apartments, but the hotel management suddenly cancelled the booking forcing the coalition to move to Yar’Adua Centre.
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