The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has expressed confidence in its ability to defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election without relying on a coalition of opposition parties.

The party’s spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, disclosed this while speaking on Arise TV, saying the ADC had built enough support among Nigerians to independently contest and win the presidential election.

According to Abdullahi, although opposition parties were still holding discussions on possible areas of cooperation, the ADC was not depending on a formal coalition to secure victory.

He explained that the initial discussions around an opposition coalition were intended to make the task of defeating the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) easier, but the ADC had since developed sufficient political strength to pursue the election on its own.

Abdullahi said discussions among opposition parties remained focused on areas where they could work together, particularly election monitoring, vote protection and the development of a common mechanism for safeguarding votes during the 2027 election.

The ADC spokesperson also dismissed concerns over the political influence of the APC and its leading figures, arguing that political strength within the National Assembly would not necessarily determine the outcome of a presidential election, which would ultimately be decided by voters.

He expressed confidence in the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and said the ADC had adequate time to mobilise support across the country ahead of the election.

Abdullahi further described the 2027 presidential election as a referendum on the performance of the Tinubu administration, maintaining that voters would determine whether the government deserved another term.

OK Movement Rejects Merger

Meanwhile, the OK Movement, a political support platform associated with Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has rejected proposals to merge or be absorbed into another political organisation.

The decision was reached at the movement’s National Leadership Summit in Abuja, attended by national leaders, geopolitical zonal coordinators, state coordinators, as well as local government and ward-level mobilisers from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The movement resolved to retain its independent structure while remaining open to cooperation with allied political groups pursuing common objectives.

The OK Movement said its decision was based on the need to preserve its existing grassroots structures, programmes and identity, which it said had been developed over time through its network of volunteers and mobilisers.

The group also reaffirmed John Ughulu as its founder and Director-General, rejecting proposals for his replacement.

According to the movement, its grassroots structure was largely built around Ughulu’s leadership and relationship with its volunteers, making his continued leadership important to the organisation’s operations.

The summit further resolved to invite Jacky Wayas back into the movement in her former capacity as Director for Strategic Implementation and Planning, under the leadership of the Director-General.

Following the resignation of Muhammad Auwal Musa as Deputy Director-General (North), the summit approved Prince Suleiman Abubakar as his replacement.

The movement said its leadership had also informed former Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, of the outcome of the summit during a visit to his residence.

The leadership subsequently visited Alhaji Buba Galadima, who heads the movement’s Advisory Council. The council reportedly reaffirmed the importance of maintaining unity within the organisation and advised against merging the support group with the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

The OK Movement said its state, local government and ward leaders had expressed concerns that removing its Director-General or ending its independent status could affect its grassroots operations.

It maintained that the position of its grassroots coordinators should be respected and that preserving the movement’s existing structure remained essential to its objective of mobilising Nigerians around its vision for political change.

The developments come amid ongoing efforts by opposition groups and political movements to position themselves ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with discussions continuing over alliances, cooperation and the structure of a potential challenge to the ruling APC.