The African Democratic Congress (ADC), now the platform of an emerging opposition coalition, is reportedly targeting at least five sitting governors.

This is part of its strategy to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election.

Insiders revealed that the ADC is exploiting internal tensions within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to lure governors into its fold.

So far, five prominent PDP leaders across Benue, Niger, Kano, Gombe and Borno states have resigned to join the ADC.

Leaders of the coalition, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, former Senate President David Mark and ex-Minister Rauf Aregbesola, formally adopted the ADC as their political vehicle last Wednesday.

Prominent APC figures such as former National Chairman John Oyegun, ex-Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, and former Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi have also reportedly quit the ruling party to align with the ADC movement.

APC dismisses coalition, says no sitting governor supports them

Despite the ADC’s momentum, leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have played down the coalition’s strength.

The APC National Vice Chairman (South-East), Ijeomah Arodiogbu, insisted that the absence of sitting governors in the movement exposes its weakness.

As reported by Punch, Arodiogbu said:

“This coalition is already off to a shaky start. Unlike the APC’s formation, no governors have joined them. Even worse, some leaders within the ADC are unhappy about the influx of new members.”

He dismissed the alliance as a desperate attempt to seize power without a clear plan for the nation.

“They don’t have anything concrete to offer Nigerians. It’s all about pulling down Tinubu,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu defends Tinubu, says coalition agenda will fail

Lagos state governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has criticised the ADC-led opposition, accusing them of attempting to derail President Tinubu’s administration.

He described the recent political realignments as a “distraction strategy” aimed at weakening national progress.

Sanwo-Olu during a press briefing on Friday, June 4, said:

“The target is to distract the Commander-in-Chief and derail the social and economic gains we are seeing. But Nigerians are smarter now, and they will stand with Tinubu in 2027.”

Sanwo-Olu argued that Tinubu’s achievements and reform-driven agenda remain solid enough to guarantee re-election, regardless of the opposition’s moves, Vanguard reported.

Five governors in talks with ADC, insiders claim

According to ADC insiders, the party is in discussions with five PDP governors who are reportedly waiting for internal PDP disputes, especially those involving FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, to be resolved before making a formal switch.

A former senator from Katsina state said:

“These governors are waiting for the PDP convention. We’ve been planning this coalition for 18 months, and even some APC governors have shown interest. But we’re keeping names under wraps for now.”

Another aide confirmed that leaders of the coalition are engaging seven sitting governors, both in the North and South, in what appears to be a broad-based move to strengthen the ADC’s political standing.

More PDP figures defect to ADC

In the wake of the coalition’s launch, more PDP figures have left the party.

Among them are former Benue Attorney General Alex Adum, Kano chieftain Ibrahim Amin, and Gombe’s 2023 PDP governorship candidate, AVM Shehu Adamu (retd).

In their resignation letters, they cited persistent internal crises, lack of cohesion, and PDP’s failure to embrace the coalition movement as reasons for their exit.

PDP denies cracks, labels ADC claims as hallucination

Reacting to the defections and reports of governor poaching, PDP spokesperson Debo Ologunagba dismissed the ADC’s claims as “hallucination.”

“Our governors and party members are united. We are focused on our upcoming national convention and restructuring the party to remain Nigeria’s leading opposition," he said.

Wike joins criticism of ADC movement

FCT Minister Nyesom Wike also weighed in, expressing scepticism about the ADC-led coalition’s chances.

Though he remains embroiled in intra-party disagreements within the PDP, Wike echoed sentiments from the APC camp, suggesting the coalition lacks direction and credibility.