The coalition of opposition forces under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) may be heading for a major internal crisis just before it’s unveiling, as a powerful bloc of stakeholders within the party has openly rejected the appointment of former Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, as Interim National Secretary.
The rejection, led by ADC National Publicity Secretary Dr. Musa Isa Matara, was made public on Wednesday in a strongly worded statement condemning what was described as “an attempted takeover” of the party by political elites under the guise of coalition building.
“We are not opposed to coalitions. We are not opposed to reform. But we are opposed to hijack, to imposition, and to speeches that sound revolutionary but hide elitist intentions beneath poetic language,” the statement read.
The stakeholders—comprising national officers, women leaders, youth groups, and some state chairmen—insist that no legitimate National Convention or National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting has approved any leadership restructuring involving Aregbesola or the broader coalition.
They warned that any claim that the ADC has become the official platform for a “National Opposition Coalition Group” is both premature and misleading, alleging that millions of party members were neither informed nor consulted.
“The ADC is not for sale,” the statement stressed. “It belongs to its grassroots members—not political merchants or elite dealmakers looking to hijack the structure for 2027.”
The group further revealed that the ADC is still entangled in unresolved legal disputes from the 2023 elections, stating that any coalition effort built on this fragile foundation risks “being self-destructive.”