Key figures from Nigeria’s major opposition parties convened at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, for a landmark meeting aimed at uniting efforts to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections. The gathering marked the formal adoption of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as the platform for the newly formed opposition coalition.
Prominent attendees included 2023 presidential candidates Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party, alongside former governors Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna) and Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers). Former Senate President David Mark and ex-Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, recently appointed interim national chairman and secretary of the ADC respectively, were also present, signaling significant realignment within Nigeria’s opposition landscape.
Other notable figures at the meeting were former House Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha, Senators Dino Melaye, Gabriel Suswam, and Ireti Kingibe, former Minister of Youth and Sports Solomon Dalung, media personality Dele Momodu, and retired Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar.
The coalition, which includes members from the PDP, Labour Party, Social Democratic Party, and other political groups, aims to present a united front to unseat the APC in 2027. The meeting underscored widespread dissatisfaction with the current administration, highlighting issues of governance, national security, and economic decline.
While the coalition’s formation represents a major political development, analysts have expressed skepticism about its cohesion and grassroots viability, citing ideological differences and personal ambitions among leaders. Nonetheless, the coalition’s leaders have called for collective action to restore Nigeria’s democratic and developmental trajectory ahead of the upcoming elections.
