By Taiwo Scholarstica
Former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, has said that no presidential candidate can win an election in Nigeria without substantial support from the North.
Dalung made the remark in Lafia while supervising the African Democratic Congress (ADC) primary elections for the House of Assembly, House of Representatives, and Senate seats in Nasarawa State, where he serves as chairman of the party’s State Election Committee.
According to him, the North remains a decisive factor in Nigeria’s electoral process and is increasingly aligning with the ADC.
He argued that the country’s political landscape is gradually returning to a regional pattern similar to that of the First Republic, with different regions identifying more closely with particular political parties.
Dalung described the ADC as the only political party with a nationwide presence, claiming it enjoys strong support in the North while maintaining influence in the South-West and other parts of the country.
Speaking on the ongoing primaries in Nasarawa State, he said no candidate had emerged through consensus, indicating that all positions were being contested through the party’s internal electoral process.
He also addressed the legal disputes involving the party, stating that the growing number of court cases reflected the ADC’s rising political relevance and expanding influence ahead of future elections.