By Clement John
ABUJA — Fresh fault lines have emerged within Nigeria’s opposition landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections, as leading political figures signal a new alliance platform while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) firmly rejects claims it may be sidelined from the race.
Former presidential candidates, Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, are expected to announce a new political platform on Monday, marking what insiders describe as a decisive shift from prolonged coalition talks to concrete political alignment.
The development was disclosed by Buba Galadima, Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), at the OK Movement Unity Summit in Abuja on Saturday.
“I assure you that if you invest your trust in us as leaders, we must find a way of getting ourselves on the ballot. From Monday, when our leaders (Obi & Kwankwaso) declare the platform on which they will run, I want to tell you that one or two things will happen,” Galadima said.
He warned that ongoing legal battles and tight electoral timelines could hinder some parties, particularly the ADC, from completing candidate nomination processes.
“You go to the Supreme Court, and the Supreme Court tells you to go back to the court of first instance, the High Court. Can that be done before the end of May? And if it cannot be done successfully, can the ADC have a candidate?” he queried.
Galadima further alleged that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was working to weaken opposition parties and shrink Nigeria’s political space.
“And I said Tinubu will try to stifle the political parties because he wants to run as a sole candidate in Nigeria.
Today, you can see it is happening,” he said.
He also raised concerns over possible disruptions to party primaries and internal divisions, claiming: “You cannot hold direct primaries in over 8,000 wards across the country; they can send security agents and hooligans to disrupt the process such that the opposition party will never be allowed to produce a candidate.”
According to him, the battle for 2027 would extend beyond traditional politics into media and digital arenas. “They will sponsor fifth columnists. They will deploy social media influencers to start attacking our candidates,” he added.
Despite these concerns, Galadima urged Nigerians to remain committed to democratic processes. “Come rain, come shine, we must democratically, through the ballot box, remove this government,” he said.
However, in a swift rebuttal, the ADC dismissed suggestions that it may not participate in the elections, describing such claims as “baseless” and “mischievous.”
In a statement, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said: “We have taken note of recent suggestions that the ADC will not produce candidates in the 2027 elections. We find such claims to be entirely unfounded, mischievous, and designed to create confusion where none exists.”
He maintained that there were no legal barriers to the party’s participation. “There is no legal impediment to our participation in the 2027 elections, and any suggestion to the contrary is a deliberate attempt to mislead the public and dampen the growing momentum around our party,” he said.
Positioning the ADC as a central opposition force, Abdullahi added: “The ADC wishes to state, clearly and unequivocally, that we remain focused on our mission to rescue Nigeria from the failure of the APC-led government and to prevent the dangerous slide toward a one-party state.”
He further assured that the party would present “credible, competent, and nationally acceptable candidates” capable of addressing Nigeria’s challenges.
Reaffirming its readiness, Abdullahi said: “The ADC stands today as the primary opposition platform in Nigeria… We are focused on organising across the country, mobilising Nigerians… and building the structures required not just to contest, but to win.”
Saturday’s summit, themed “One Voice, One Vision, in Unity we Win,” underscored ongoing efforts to forge a united opposition front, with Monday’s expected declaration by Obi and Kwankwaso likely to shape the trajectory of coalition politics and intensify competition ahead of 2027.
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