Battle for 2027: Govt’s intimidation forcing some to tread carefully — ADC

Bolaji Abdullahi, the spokesman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), in this interview with Weekend Trust sheds light on what he describes as a deliberate strategy by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to intimidate and co-opt potential defectors. He addresses fears among opposition leaders and the role of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission […]

Bolaji Abdullahi, the spokesman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), in this interview with Weekend Trust sheds light on what he describes as a deliberate strategy by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to intimidate and co-opt potential defectors. He addresses fears among opposition leaders and the role of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

 

Some opposition leaders expected to join the ADC still have not, with speculation that they might be having cold feet due to overtures from the ruling party. Does this raise questions about unity within the coalition and are you worried about these overtures?

Unless you tell me which specific individuals you are referring to, or whether they were part of the coalition conversation from the start, I cannot comment directly. When you say people are having cold feet, it suggests they were part of us but are now reconsidering. If I know the individuals you are talking about, I can tell you whether they were ever truly part of the coalition.

 

When the former governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal was invited and detained by the EFCC earlier this week, many insinuated that this was why he has not left the PDP. You even issued a statement condemning the EFCC’s act. Are you worried?

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Not at all. Politics is about strategy, and we have ours. Some of our people coming from the PDP have left, while others remain there for now, and we know why. The EFCC’s arrest or detention of the former governor of Sokoto will not change anything. After leaving the EFCC, he himself said he would not be intimidated.

We know many people, even within government, who want to join the ADC. Some in other parties are willing to join too. But many are cautious, because they know what this government is capable of. It seems that once you oppose the government, they suddenly remember you have questions to answer about past positions you’ve held. Yet, once you join the APC, all your ‘sins’ are forgiven, as one of their party leaders said.

There is fear that the government might use this tactic to coerce people into joining the APC. I have often said the government should stop intimidating people and let them freely exercise their democratic rights. What the government is doing with the EFCC is not fighting corruption, it is fighting the opposition.

For us, we are not bothered about whether people join the ADC now or later. The only truly viable opposition party today is the African Democratic Congress. The PDP has been in existence for years, but what role has it played as an opposition? Instead of holding the government accountable, they are busy setting up committees to share positions. Is that the kind of opposition Nigeria needs?

 

Has the party received any formal complaints from leaders alleging that the ruling party has made overtures to them? For instance, Dr Umar Ardo and associates of former Governor Aminu Tambuwal have claimed they were approached.

If Ardo says he has been approached, perhaps they did. But those who have been part of this coalition conversation from the beginning remain with us. Don’t forget that Dr Ardo was part of the League of Northern Democrats, which later said it would support the coalition. The leader of that group, former Kano governor Ibrahim Shekarau, is neither here nor there politically.

We are not concerned. The coalition is intact. Nobody is leaving. We know our mission: to expose the ruling party’s failures in delivering dividends of democracy, and to take power in 2027. That is what we want for this country; real internal democracy and better policy alternatives.

I was in the APC, so I know how it operates. They don’t even know what is happening in government.

 

Are you saying these reported overtures are coming directly from the government, not from the APC?

Absolutely. The APC, as a party, is not in a position to do anything significant. Remember when Daniel Bwala was on TV discussing how the former ADC chairman, Ralph Nwosu, was allegedly offered two ministerial positions to scuttle the coalition takeover? Bwala said only President Tinubu could make such offers. So, if that is the case, how can the party itself be making these overtures?

 

Critics say the APC’s strategy is to weaken the opposition ahead of 2027 by picking off influential figures.

What they have been doing is recruiting people to hold press conferences claiming to be party leaders who disagree with us. Our strategy is to ignore them because we are on solid legal ground.

 

If someone accuses us of forging a signature, which is a crime, why call a press conference instead of reporting it to the police?

Dumebi Kachikwu says he has already petitioned the authorities over this.

Then they should let the authorities do their job. We are not interested in endless gossip. The real issues facing Nigeria are far more serious.

If bandits can freely charge farmers or collect levies from Nigerians, that should be the priority. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala recently said the economy needs fixing, but the government twisted it to claim she commended them for stability. She had to issue a rejoinder to correct the record.

Too many Nigerians are suffering. That’s where our focus should be, not on manufactured distractions. The only oxygen these so-called factional leaders have is the media.

 

So you see all this as part of a broader APC strategy to weaken the opposition. What is the ADC doing to keep the coalition intact?

There is no problem to solve. The coalition is intact. Our focus is on building the party so that we can be competitive in the ext general election and win.

We are working towards offering credible alternatives to Nigerians. As our chairman has announced, we will soon inaugurate our policy committee. This is not about personalities or petty disputes. Those who want to entertain themselves can keep doing so.

 

Finally, INEC has yet to update its website to reflect the ADC’s new leadership, still listing Ralph Nwosu as chairman. Are you concerned?

Not at all. We are in contact with INEC, and this is simply a procedural matter. INEC is not acting against us.

 

So you are confident that the leadership will be recognised?

We don’t need recognition from INEC in that sense. Ralph Nwosu, who was the recognised chairman, resigned along with other executive members. We held a NEC meeting attended by INEC where new officers were sworn in. Ralph has also formally communicated this to INEC, and they are processing the update.

 

But Rep. Leke Abejide still insists he is the party leader, claiming to be the highest-ranking elected official in the ADC.

In the party hierarchy, his position does not make him a leader. He is only a member of the NEC, which is the second-highest body after the national convention. Even the president of a country is only a member of the NEC of his party.