National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress, Bolaji Abdullahi, has said efforts to build a broad opposition coalition involving major political figures ahead of the 2027 general elections are still ongoing despite the exit of former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and former Kano State governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso from the ADC.
Abdullahi made the remarks during an interview on AIT News on Thursday, May 14, 2026, while speaking on the future of opposition collaboration in Nigeria.
According to him, the challenge facing the ADC extends beyond the party itself and affects the wider opposition movement seeking to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress in the next election cycle. “And it’s not specifically an ADC problem. It is a problem for the coalition we’re trying to build,” he said.
The ADC spokesman argued that opposition parties stand a stronger chance of defeating an incumbent administration when they operate as a united front rather than contesting separately. “Because if you have an opposition, a united opposition, working to challenge the incumbent, then you stand a better chance,” he stated.
Abdullahi explained that fragmentation within the opposition could ultimately favour the ruling party by creating multiple competing blocs during elections. “But the moment you have the opposition divided, and you have a three horse race or a four horse race, it advantages the incumbent,” he said.
He maintained that the departure of Obi and Kwankwaso from the ADC had broader implications for the opposition landscape and not just for the party alone. “So what happened with Peter Obi and Kwankwaso leaving ADC does not hurt only the ADC. It hurts the opposition generally,” he stated.
According to him, the political consequences of the development would also affect the politicians involved, just as it would affect the ADC. “So it’s going to affect them the way it’s going to affect us,” he said.
Despite the setback, Abdullahi insisted that discussions aimed at building a wider coalition among opposition leaders had not been abandoned. “But if we were able to hold together, then we would have stood a better chance,” he stated.
The former minister stressed that ongoing conversations among opposition figures remain focused on a common political objective. “I’m not saying it’s not possible. As a matter of fact, I’m not saying that the work of building that coalition has ended,” Abdullahi added.
He further urged caution in interpreting recent political developments, insisting that the broader goal of opposition unity remains intact. “And that is why we have to be careful how we look at this, because the objective is the same,” he concluded……See More
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