Abuja, Nigeria — Nigeria’s opposition political party, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), is weighing the option of adopting a consensus arrangement to select its presidential candidate for the country’s 2027 general election.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, disclosed this during an interview on a television programme on Saturday. He explained that the ADC is considering both direct primaries and consensus, but indicated that the latter is currently preferred because it is less expensive.
“We are trying as much as possible to adopt the consensus approach because that is the least costly for us. For us, the best-case scenario is to be able to engineer consensus, and that’s what we are working on,” he said.
Abdullahi added that indirect primaries are no longer being considered, noting that the amended Electoral Act guiding elections in Nigeria makes such an option impractical.
He also criticised Nigeria’s ruling political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), suggesting that its unity is largely dependent on the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigeria’s current head of state.
“If you take power out of APC, APC is actually nothing. I know the party well.
“Post Bola Tinubu, they will unravel quickly, that even they would be surprised. He is the glue holding the party together,” he said.
The spokesperson further described the APC as a “special purpose vehicle” formed to secure the presidencies of former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and President Tinubu, arguing that the party has largely fulfilled that role.
“In any free and fair election in Nigeria today, there’s no way APC will win.
“Why is a party with 31 governors and about 90 percent of the National Assembly still panicking? Why are they still trying to destabilise other opposition parties?
“They should be preparing for Tinubu’s win, given their overwhelming governance. But they are unsettled because they know in a free and fair election, there is no way they can win. Nigerians are tired of them,” he said.
Okay News reports that the ADC has recently positioned itself as a key opposition platform through alliances with prominent political figures. Names linked to the party’s potential 2027 presidential ticket include former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, and former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi.
However, no formal announcement has been made regarding any candidate.
The discussion signals early political manoeuvring ahead of Nigeria’s next presidential election scheduled for 2027, with opposition parties exploring strategies to strengthen their chances.
