Is Anti‑Tinubu Coalition’s ADC Play Dead on Arrival?

Less than 24 hours after the anti-Tinubu coalition officially adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its platform to unseat incumbent Bola Tinubu in Nigeria’s 2027 elections, internal crisis is already brewing in the party.

What began as a strategic “back-door” adoption by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Rotimi Amaechi, Abubakar Malami, David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola, and other prominent ex-APC and PDP heavyweights now faces questions of legitimacy, coherence, and electoral viability.

Trouble from within

ADC’s 2023 presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, condemns the move as a hostile, insider-backed takeover that bypassed due process. He blasted the new entrants as “yesterday’s men, who represent a bad chapter in Nigeria’s past,” seeking political power without grassroots commitment, warning they’ll soon be “shopping for a new party.”

Kachikwu’s public denunciation signals internal resistance and legal friction, especially since the term of former chairman Ralph Nwosu, who handed over the ADC reins to David Mark, officially expired in August 2022.

“If you seek to be a part of the ADC, do the proper thing and come through the front door. We are a party of decent and well-behaved people,” Kachikwu said. “Our brand of opposition is one that not only opposes but proposes, something that your group is not conversant with.”

Big names, big questions

The coalition features prominent names, and all of them claim to want to rescue Nigeria, but critics believe this is more about political survival than genuine change.

Amaechi and Malami have officially resigned from the APC and moved to the ADC. After years in power under the APC, can they really represent something new? Many Nigerians aren’t buying it.

Weak foundation

The ADC was not a major force in Nigerian politics prior to this. It has no governors and little structure in most states. For this new coalition to succeed, they will need to build from the ground up. That means organising at the ward and state level, earning trust, and proving they’re different.

But with the current leadership crisis and legal threats already brewing, that won’t be easy. Even within the ADC, long-time members feel sidelined.

Will the youth buy in?

One big challenge is convincing young Nigerians. This is the same group that rallied around new movements, such as Peter Obi’s Labour Party, in 2023. If the ADC coalition appears to be the same old faces with new slogans, it may struggle to win their support.

What happens next?

For now, the ADC coalition is not dead, but it’s shaky. If they want to be taken seriously, they’ll need to sort out their internal issues, follow due process, and connect with regular Nigerians, especially young voters.

Otherwise, it might just end up as another failed political experiment, and 2027 will easily be Tinubu’s race to victory.