The youth members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) have openly rejected a new political coalition formed by top politicians such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President David Mark, ex-Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, ex-Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and former Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola.
The spokesperson of the ADC youth wing, Musa Matara, made this known during a gathering on Thursday. This announcement came just a day after the opposition leaders declared they would be using the ADC as a platform to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election.
During the coalition’s launch, a group within ADC led by Raph Nwosu handed the party’s leadership over to the opposition team. David Mark was named interim national chairman while Aregbesola was chosen as secretary.
However, Matara disagreed with this move. He said it was wrong to hand over the party to politicians who had played roles in ruining the country before. According to him, the youth members of ADC will not allow their party to be taken over in the name of building an opposition front.
He also dismissed Raph Nwosu’s claim that all the party’s national executives had stepped down. Matara insisted that the coalition members are the same old politicians without clear ideas or direction. He stressed that ADC is a party with strong values and identity.
Matara further warned that while new members are welcome to join ADC, no one should try to hijack or dominate the party. He questioned the legitimacy of the interim appointments, asking who gave them authority—whether it was the National Executive Committee or the National Working Committee.
He also reassured members and supporters that ADC remains strong and united. According to him, there is no plan to switch to any other political platform.
In a similar reaction, Dumebi Kachikwu, who was ADC’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, criticized the appointment of David Mark as interim chairman. He said such a move is harmful to the country and only aims to bring Atiku back to power in 2027.
