The National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi, says the mission of the ADC to rescue Nigeria has become “a matter of life and death,” warning that the ruling establishment is working to eliminate all opposition parties before the 2027 general election.
Abdullahi made the declaration in Asaba during the inauguration of the ADC Delta State Leadership Management Team and the commissioning of the party’s new state secretariat. He said developments in the PDP, Labour Party and other opposition parties indicate a coordinated effort to weaken democratic alternatives across the country.
“We have seen what has happened to the PDP. We have seen what is happening in the Labour Party and other political parties. The government wants a situation where, by 2027, only the APC is left standing,” he said. “Today, the ADC is the last man standing in the opposition. We may not have the governors or the senators or the billions others spend every day, but we have the people, and we have God. And by the grace of God, we shall succeed.”
Abdullahi praised the Delta State leadership for their hospitality, saying his past visits to the state as a journalist and later as minister had always left him with positive memories.
Speaking earlier, National Vice Chairman (North East) of the ADC, Babachir David Lawal, who represented the National Chairman, Senator David Mark, warned party members against the “winner-takes-all” attitude often associated with Delta politics.
Lawal, who said he had lived in Delta State for over 10 years, urged members to avoid practices that alienate others or attempt to impose candidates, stressing that elections cannot be won by excluding people.
“In Delta, there is often a tendency for winner takes all,” he said. “But let me tell you: You cannot win elections if you exclude others. You need everyone—even your so-called opponents.”
Lawal contrasted the ADC with other major parties, saying the era of candidates buying tickets behind closed doors was over.
“In APC and PDP, someone can misbehave and get away with it. A candidate wins a primary, but his ticket is sold in Abuja. Someone brings ₦5 million to the NWC and the name submitted to INEC becomes different from the one that won the election,” he said. “Let me assure you: It will not happen in ADC.”
He cited a recent primary election in Ekiti where the National Chairman, Senator David Mark, refused to sign a certificate of return because he found it suspicious that a candidate received zero votes in an entire local government.
“This is the kind of integrity our chairman represents,” he said. Lawal urged members to conduct their primaries and congresses fairly, warning that attempts to dominate or exclude others would not succeed. “If you think you will run to Abuja to overturn what is done here, you will waste your time,” he added.
Also speaking at the event, the National Vice Chairman, South-South of the ADC and former Minister of State for the Niger Delta, Usani Usani, said the party had come to stay and was building a political culture anchored on transparency and integrity.
He told party members that fear had no place within the ADC and warned that those who allow themselves to be bought would lose the moral right to complain later. According to him, the ADC’s national leadership—headed by a retired General and former Senate President—has brought stability and credibility to the party. He dismissed reports of division in the party, describing them as “a storm in a teacup.”
In his remarks, former governorship candidate Olorogun Great Ogboru, who was inaugurated as a member of the Delta Leadership Management Team, said the ADC is providing the first real political alternative Delta State has seen in decades.
Ogboru said individuals who had kept the opposition alive in the state for 25 years were now in the ADC, noting that the party’s rise had taken the political class by surprise.
“They never imagined that an obscure party like the ADC would rise and say no,” he said. “We are here to create an alternative and give the people of Delta State the power to decide their own future.” He emphasised that he had never bought or sold votes and vowed that the party would not compromise its values.
Ogboru thanked the national leadership for their presence and urged them to inform the party hierarchy in Abuja that “a new and beautiful story is emerging in Delta State.” Those inaugurated included, Olorogun Great Ovedje Ogboru, Dcn Kennedy Pela, Hon. Uloho Obaro, Engr. Austin Okolie, Hon. George Timinimi and Hon. Emeka Ozegbe.
