|By Chinwendu Nwani
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has formally ruled out any support for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election, declaring its resolve to remain a strong and independent opposition force.
The party also inaugurated its zonal and state congress and appeal committees across the country, a move it said would strengthen internal democracy and reposition the party ahead of future elections.
ADC National Chairman, Nafiu Bala Gombe, led the inauguration ceremony on Sunday in Abuja, urging members to close ranks and commit to building a credible and formidable political platform.
Gombe said the newly constituted committees would oversee the planning and conduct of congresses at the zonal, state, local government and ward levels, in strict adherence to the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act.
He explained that the committees were mandated to enforce constitutional compliance, implement congress guidelines and uphold electoral procedures, including voting processes, ballot handling and declaration of results.
Gombe stressed that the exercise marked a critical phase in the party’s growth, noting that the committees would ensure transparency and give members a voice at all levels of the party’s structure.
He also distanced the ADC leadership from a statement credited to Hon. Leke Joseph Abijide, which allegedly endorsed President Tinubu’s second-term bid.
“The leadership of the ADC categorically rejects that position,” Gombe said, adding that the party had no association with any endorsement of Tinubu’s 2027 ambition and remained committed to its role as a determined opposition party.
Chairman of the Congress Committee for the North-West geopolitical zone, Abimikun Monday, described the inauguration as a major step toward repositioning the party’s leadership nationwide.
Monday said the confidence reposed in the committee reflected the national leadership’s determination to rebuild the ADC, assuring that the committee would deliver credible congresses in line with constitutional and legal requirements.
He commended Gombe for steering the party through internal challenges and pledged the committee’s readiness to execute its mandate diligently.
Also speaking, Kaduna State Chairman of the ADC, Sani Aliyu Mohammed, declared the party’s intention to win power through democratic and lawful means.
Mohammed said the party would intensify grassroots organisation from the state to the local government level to ensure electoral success, adding that the ADC aimed to emerge as a dominant political force by 2027.
He thanked party members for their support and reaffirmed the leadership’s commitment to building a party anchored on justice, equity and fairness.
