…Obi absent, Atiku present as bigwigs attend Stakeholders meeting

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has directed all coalition partners still holding on to their membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), All Progressives Congress (APC) and other political platforms to resign immediately and register as full members of the ADC ahead of the 2027 general elections.

This was the central resolution of the ADC National Caucus meeting held on Thursday in Abuja, where the party’s leadership declared that loyalty must now be total and uncompromising.

Speaking after the closed–door meetingon Thursday, ADC National Publicity Secretary, Mr Bolaji Abdullahi, confirmed that the directive was final.

He said: “Though final order has been given to all members to resign membership of other political parties, the caucus was silent on the timeline.” He stressed that the coalition would no longer tolerate divided loyalty as it prepared for a full–scale challenge against President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.

Among those affected by the order is Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, who is yet to formally quit his party despite being a key coalition partner. Obi was absent from the Abuja meeting but was reported to have sent his apologies and assured the caucus of his “commitment.”

Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who has already resigned from the PDP but is yet to formalise his membership of the ADC, was in attendance alongside other political heavyweights.

The gathering was Chaired by ADC National Chairman, Mr David Mark, and also had in attendance the party’s National Secretary, Mr Rauf Aregbesola; former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai; former Sokoto State Governor, Senator Aminu Tambuwal; former Rivers State Governor, Mr Rotimi Amaechi; and former Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatai Ahmed.

“All the presidential aspirants have agreed to support whoever wins the primary election,” Mr Abdullahi added.

The caucus further resolved to abandon all ties with the African Democratic Association (ADA), a political movement once considered as an alternative platform for the coalition.

“The coalition has rested everything concerning the ADA. That means they are not interested in the registration or otherwise of the association,” Mr Abdullahi declared.

Although the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had recently approved ADA’s registration as a political party, the coalition confirmed that it had settled on ADC since July as its vehicle for the 2027 elections.

The ADC National Working Committee (NWC) will in the coming days release the timetable for primaries ahead of the off–cycle governorship elections in Osun and Ekiti States.