Ohanaeze faction knocks ADC

There are indications that Igbo leaders are divided over the ongoing opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 general election, as a faction of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo sociocultural organisation, declared that the coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) lacks the capacity to unseat President Bola Tinubu. Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, who identifies himself as […]

There are indications that Igbo leaders are divided over the ongoing opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 general election, as a faction of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo sociocultural organisation, declared that the coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) lacks the capacity to unseat President Bola Tinubu.

Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, who identifies himself as the Deputy President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, made the claim in a statement on Monday.

However, the leadership of the sociocultural organisation under Senator John Azuta-Mbata disowned Isiguzoro’s comments, describing him as an impostor.

Daily Trust reports that opposition leaders recently formed a coalition and adopted the ADC as their platform to challenge President Tinubu in the 2027 election.

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But in his statement, the factional Ohanaeze leader alleged that the coalition’s presidential aspirants include individuals of questionable character who are linked to an “insatiable pursuit of state capture.”

He said, “In no uncertain terms, we assert that the ADC is a certified congregation of strange bedfellows, united by a singular, nefarious agenda of state capture against the collective interests of Nigerians. It manifestly lacks the requisite capacity to unseat and dislodge an incumbent president as fortified as Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo condemns the assemblage of politicians within the ADC and echoes the sentiments of many Nigerians—particularly Ndigbo—who are profoundly disenchanted by this coalition.

“At the appropriate time, all ADC presidential aspirants will be reminded of their transgressions against the Southeast.

“In light of these sentiments, Ohanaeze reaffirms its earlier position—Igbo support for President Tinubu remains sacrosanct.

“We categorically refute any endorsement of the ADC-led opposition coalition in the 2027 elections. During the recent Igbo Day celebrations in Asaba, Delta State, Igbo leaders from diverse backgrounds convened and resolved to withdraw support from opposition parties in favour of embracing the current administration under the esteemed President Tinubu. This collective decision is steadfast and will not be altered.

“It is imperative this stark reality be conveyed to ADC coalition leaders. The prevailing truths are sobering and backed by irrefutable evidence. Many close associates and ministers of President Tinubu have earned Nigerians’ trust through exemplary performance across critical sectors such as security, infrastructure, and policy in the Federal Capital Territory. The ADC’s northern leaders face insurmountable hurdles in securing victory in the North,” he added.

However, Ezechi Chukwu, spokesperson of the Azuta-Mbata-led faction, told Daily Trust that the individual who issued the statement on behalf of Ohanaeze “must be an impostor.”

According to him, “Ohanaeze has not spoken or taken a position on the new coalition. It is not partisan and does not dabble in the internal dynamics of political parties.

“The position of Ohanaeze is very clear on national issues. We advocate restructuring to unbundle the centre and enable true federalism, devolution of powers, and resource control to promote healthy competition among the federating units.

“In the interim, Ohanaeze has no hand in the emergence of the ADC or its coalition. We are not part of their programme or agenda. We are not affiliated with them, nor involved in assessing their viability vis-à-vis the ruling party.

“The person issuing a statement on behalf of Ohanaeze is unknown to the leadership. The President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide is Senator John Azuta-Mbata. Anyone claiming any position outside the leadership inaugurated in Enugu on 10 January 2025 is an impostor.”

Daily Trust reports that the election of the Azuta-Mbata-led Ohanaeze in January was attended by governors, senators, traditional rulers, and other stakeholders from the seven constitutionally recognised Igbo states: Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Delta, and Rivers.

 

Aggrieved ADC members want court to sack Mark, Aregbesola-leadership

In a related development, three members of the ADC have filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Abuja challenging the legality of the party’s newly constituted national leadership.

The plaintiffs—Adeyemi Emmanuel, Ayodeji Victor Tolu, and Haruna Ismaila—are contesting the appointment of former Senate President David Mark as interim national chairman of the ADC.

Also joined in the suit are former ADC National Chairman Ralph Nwosu, Interim National Secretary Rauf Aregbesola, and Interim National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi.

In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1328/0005, the plaintiffs allege the appointments violate the ADC Constitution (2018 as amended) and are therefore unconstitutional, null, and void.

They are asking the court to determine whether the defendants breached Article 9 (Paragraph D) of the party’s constitution and whether they were qualified to occupy the offices to which they were appointed.

The plaintiffs also want the court to rule on whether Mark (4th defendant), Aregbesola (5th), and Abdullahi (6th) were properly registered members of the ADC at the time of their appointment.

The suit further queries whether the ADC’s constitution allows for interim leadership and whether the executive committee could be dissolved without a duly convened national convention or a valid National Executive Committee (NEC) decision.

The plaintiffs are also challenging whether the third defendant, Nwosu, had the legal authority to hand over to the new leadership, citing a 2022 Federal High Court ruling by Justice Binta Nyako.

Mark and others were unveiled as part of the new opposition coalition leadership during a major event last Wednesday, attended by political figures such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former governors Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, and Nasir El-Rufai, as well as ex-ministers and lawmakers.

However, the new executive has faced criticism since its emergence. Former ADC presidential candidate Dumebi Kachikwu described the process as a “hostile takeover” lacking due process.

“The tenure of the Nwosu-led executive expired on 21 August 2022, and his continued parade as party chairman is the subject of multiple legal challenges across the country,” Kachikwu said.

 

Party alleges plot to destabilise opposition

While efforts to get a reaction from the ADC to the position expressed by the factional Ohanaeze leadership were not successful as of the time of filing this report, the party in an earlier statement raised an alarm over what it described as a plot by elements within the Tinubu administration to destabilise the opposition coalition.

In a statement on Monday, Interim National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi alleged that former ADC state chairmen and executive members from the North East and North West were recently invited to a secret meeting with senior federal officials.

“We have credible intelligence that the purpose of this meeting is not national security or peacebuilding, but to intimidate and co-opt these individuals into a scheme against the coalition. This is not politics; this is sabotage,” Abdullahi said.

He accused the federal government of attempting to create internal divisions within the ADC, undermine its new leadership, and forestall its rise as a credible opposition platform.

“This surreptitious engagement with our officials by federal appointees—who should be focused on pressing security challenges—is a calculated assault on multiparty democracy. This is how one-party states are created: through coercion,” he said.

According to Abdullahi, the July 1 Coalition Declaration and the July 2 unveiling of the ADC had unsettled the ruling party. He said the government had resorted to “old tactics” because it could no longer handle a united opposition.

He urged President Tinubu to rein in his appointees, warning that the current subversion of the opposition mirrors the kind of political intolerance that nearly denied Tinubu his own ascent to power in 2015.

But the presidency has dismissed the coalition as a weak alliance that will collapse under the weight of personal ambitions.

Daniel Bwala, a presidential spokesperson, made the statement during an interview on Channels Television on Monday, saying the coalition is made up of aggrieved politicians who lack unity and a common vision.

“The problem of this coalition will be who will be the presidential candidate. Everybody wants to become president,” he said.

He described the alliance as “all hype and no structure,” insisting that the parties involved were driven by frustration rather than a credible plan for governance.

Bwala also claimed the coalition would not survive the next six months, saying, “In one month, when they sit down, I am telling you, on my honour, the coalition will not even be a conversation. They will be scattered.”

 

PDP BoT member dumps party, joins ADC in Yobe

In a related development, Alhaji Adamu Maina Waziri, a member of the PDP Board of Trustees and former Minister of Police Affairs, has formally joined the ADC.

Waziri, who ran for governor of Yobe State on the PDP platform in 2003 and 2007, submitted his resignation on Monday at his Dogotubo Ward in Potiskum LGA.

In his resignation letter to the ward chairman, Waziri cited the PDP’s current leadership and direction as inconsistent with those of a major political party, saying the party had lost its moral compass.

He noted the irony that a party founded in 1998 to fight undemocratic rule now suffers from internal democratic deficits.

Waziri described his defection as a move in the national interest and pledged to rally allies to rebuild the ADC.

His defection coincided with an ADC zonal meeting in Potiskum, where the party’s state chairman, Hon. Umaru Kalli, said the ADC was ready to challenge the APC in 2027.

 

By Abdullateef Aliyu (Lagos), Baba Martins, John Chuks Azu, Al-Mustapha A. Mustapha (Abuja) & Habibu Idris Gimba (Damaturu)