The Interim National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rauf Aregbesola, on Thursday called on party members to unite in their efforts to dislodge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.
Aregbesola made the call at a meeting with party members of the party in Akure, the Ondo State capital.
The former Governor of Osun State emphasized the need for party members to put aside their personal interests, differences and work towards a common goal of defeating the APC.
He noted that the ADC has garnered significant support from prominent opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s Peter Obi, who are backing the party as a coalition movement platform aimed at challenging President Bola Tinubu in the next election.
He said: “Let us work together, let us put personal interest aside and let’s get united . It is that unity we want , we should remember that we have many elections ahead, we have the presidential, we have the national Assembly and state assemblies elections. We still have time but with big task . If we unite , we won’t be defeated in the elections. Unity is very paramount in this situation”, he said.
Also, the candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party in the 2024 Ondo State governorship election, Gbenga Edema, said the essence of the meeting was for Aregbesola to brief members of ADC in the state on affairs of the coalition.
“Less than two weeks ago, the coalition decided to adopt the ADC, African Democratic Congress, as the party for which we are going to manage our affairs as a political party. So ever since then, we have not had the opportunity or the privilege of somebody at the level of the National to brief us. And you see that when he came, he gave us a lot of insight.
“Even the court cases that people have been hyping, he spoke about it and he made it clear that such court cases have no moment, they don’t have any effect on our activities. It’s only a stop in a teacup, which the opposition or the party in government is trying to hype, as if it’s of no use. So he has briefed us about a lot of issues that we should respect.
On his part, Akin Akinbobola, a former Nigerian Premier League board member and Head of Media said the coalition was on the right path, lamenting that Nigeria is sinking and there’s need to quickly salvage her from sinking.
“Our leader has spoken to us on the need for people of progressive minds, people of like minds, to come together and rescue this country from the titanic situation that we have found ourselves.
“Nigeria is sinking and we need to salvage Nigeria from sinking. The hardship, the hunger in the land, the insecurity, the collapse of almost every sector, based on lack of good security, lack of good infrastructures, lack of openness in governance.
“There’s a need for people that want the progress and the development of this nation to come together. That’s what the coalition is offering, using the ADC as the vehicle to actualize that.”
Akinbobola, who was a former Chairman of Ondo State Football Agency and Senior Special Assistant to former Governor Olusegun Mimiko, hinted that more stalwarts of the ruling party will soon join the ADC.
“The last meeting that was held about four days ago, we had about 10 political parties that were present in that meeting and we are just starting. This meeting is to just fraternize and see who and who is where. By the time we have a formal meeting and we have a formal structure, I can bet you that we are more than that.
He stressed that, “If you have a large army, it becomes more difficult to manage than when you have a portable army. The coalition and metamorphosis to ADC is a large army and that informed why he’s saying there should be no disagreements, we must try to manage our situation because it’s a large army
“But, there’s room enough for everybody within the army and I can assure you that it’s going to be like a tsunami sweeping around the state”, Akinbobola added.
Fidelis David
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