The momentum behind the new 2027 opposition coalition may have hit early turbulence as Dumebi Kachikwu, the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has flatly rejected claims that the party has been adopted by the coalition led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
In a strongly worded statement on Wednesday, Kachikwu dismissed the coalition’s announcement as “a dramedy,” accusing its leaders of “sneaking through the back door” and attempting to hijack a party structure they have no legal claim to.
The coalition, which includes top opposition figures such as Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Nasir El-Rufai, Rotimi Amaechi, and Rauf Aregbesola, had earlier unveiled the ADC as the platform it will use to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 elections. As part of the restructuring, David Mark was named interim National Chairman, while Aregbesola was announced as interim National Secretary.
But Kachikwu, who remains a vocal stakeholder in the ADC, says the coalition’s arrangement is fundamentally flawed and lacks legitimacy.
“The Atiku-led group is in some form of alliance with the former leadership of the party led by Ralph Nwosu, whose tenure expired on August 21, 2022,” Kachikwu said. “His continued parade of himself as chairman was the subject of multiple litigations.”
Describing the coalition actors as “yesterday’s men who represent a bad chapter in Nigeria’s past,” Kachikwu questioned the credibility and moral standing of a group dominated by former political officeholders who, in his words, “have presided over the nation’s failure for decades.”
“You stand for nothing other than your interests and will pay any price to hold political office. Nigerians are tired of your generation and reject everything you have to offer, which is nothing,” he added.
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Kachikwu did not stop at legal objections. He also ridiculed the coalition’s motives, branding it a vehicle for recycled ambitions under the guise of a “rescue mission.”
“These geriatrics have shopped around for a party to prosecute their ‘chopping must continue’ ambition. Now they’ve bought bad market from a man who represents a bad chapter in ADC’s past.”
He warned that unless the coalition follows due process to formally join the ADC, its claims of party adoption are null and void.
“Can you enter a man’s house through the back door and declare yourself the landlord? If they want to be part of the ADC, they must come through the front door.”
Kachikwu’s scathing remarks cast a shadow over what was billed as a historic opposition alliance meant to challenge APC dominance in 2027. The unfolding rift raises fresh questions about unity and legality within the coalition bloc, and may complicate its roadmap ahead of the election.
While coalition leaders have yet to officially respond to Kachikwu’s statement, analysts say the controversy could force a reassessment of the ADC’s role in the alliance—or spark another round of political realignments altogether.