The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has dismissed speculation that it is positioning itself to automatically hand its presidential ticket to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 general election, insisting that the party belongs to no individual.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, made the clarification on Friday during an interview on Politics Today, a current affairs programme on Channels Television.
Abdullahi’s comments come amid growing debate within the party over the zoning of its presidential ticket, with several state chairmen reportedly calling on the national leadership to abandon zoning arrangements and instead conduct transparent and credible primaries to select its flag bearer.
The ADC has gained renewed prominence since July 2025, when a coalition of influential politicians adopted the party as its platform to challenge President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 elections. Since then, the party has embarked on an aggressive drive to strengthen its structures nationwide under the leadership of its National Chairman, former Senate President David Mark, and National Secretary, former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola.
Several high-profile politicians with presidential ambitions have joined the party, including former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and, most recently, former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi. Party insiders say more aspirants are expected to declare interest in the coming weeks.
Addressing claims that the ADC is being transformed into an “Atiku machinery,” Abdullahi described the narrative as false and driven by external observers.
“No, it’s absolutely not. Every ADC member knows that. It’s only people looking from the outside that say this,” he said.
“Every ADC member knows today that our party does not belong to anybody, and that’s why Peter Obi will come in and that’s why Rotimi Amaechi is there.”
Abdullahi further alleged that the rumours were being promoted by the ruling APC in an attempt to undermine the opposition party.
“It is the ruling party spreading it. They’re trying to second-guess us, trying to gaslight us. I tell them to mind their business,” he said.
He stressed that the ADC’s presidential ticket would be decided through internal democratic processes, adding that no aspirant enjoys automatic entitlement.
“If Atiku gets the ticket, he gets the ticket. If somebody else gets the ticket, he gets it. But where we stand today, this ADC does not belong to anybody,” Abdullahi stated.
The spokesman also claimed that the ADC is experiencing one of the fastest growth rates in Nigeria’s political history, arguing that the party has increasingly emerged as the most viable opposition platform capable of defeating the APC in the next general election.
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