The founder and pioneer chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Ralph Nwosu, has vowed that no offer or inducement from the Tinubu administration would deter the party from opposing efforts to turn Nigeria into a one party state.
Speaking during an interview on Arise News on Wednesday, Nwosu alleged that the government has attempted to undermine the ADC’s efforts to consolidate an opposition coalition through inducements and interference.
“As a matter of fact, what I did at our NEC meeting was to send a signal so that the presidency and our people pretending Democrats who are on the other side, to be careful. Because they are ruining our system and we have struggled for that,” he said.
Asked to clarify his allegations about inducements and offers from the presidency, Nwosu responded, “I sent the last signal to them and so on… What I’ve said wouldn’t be new to any national party chairman, as I speak to you today… I just deliberately sent that signal. And if they don’t stay off, we are compelling them.”
Though he claimed offers had been made, including ministerial positions, he declined to name the individuals behind them.
“I have a call and I have meetings and not only here in Nigeria. A couple of days,” he said, adding when pressed, “No, I will not.”
In response to a denial from Daniel Bwala, special adviser to the president, Nwosu insisted that government-backed figures were working against ADC from within.
“Boala, I wish you would come out and say why Elias, Godwin and Mohammed, they are doing in big hotels, being protected by government, the people paid police.”
He continued: “They are still carrying the cards of ADC. But the government has used them to scuttle the things we’re doing.”
According to him, these individuals were being used to file court cases to halt the coalition’s progress.
“They have used them to go to court to say that they don’t agree with the things we’re doing. Therefore, it should be stopped. And they are being protected. We have pictures and we know where they are.”
He alleged that these internal saboteurs were benefiting from state resources.
“They are now riding on SUV vehicles and they’re staying in luxurious hotels. We cannot afford that. Even me, you know, who until yesterday officially was the chairman, I can’t afford that.”
Despite these challenges, Nwosu declared the movement unstoppable. “None. Because the Nigerian courts have said, come, politicians, go and sort out your problem,” he said, when asked how much of a threat these developments posed to the new ADC coalition.
“And that is why we have audaciously, and we will continue that process, to audaciously oppose anything that will make Nigeria to become a one party system under APC. It happened in Lagos, it cannot happen nationally,” he stated firmly.
Nwosu expressed disappointment that rather than competing fairly, the ruling APC was allegedly trying to undermine the coalition. “There are people in APC who feel that if we offer this, and they feel it’s too small, we just up it… But this time they failed.”
Even after stepping down from his role, Nwosu said he remains active in the party’s struggle. “A floor member,” he said when asked about his current role, but insisted he would work more from the ground level to ensure victory.
Highlighting the party’s growing influence, he said, “Babachir Lawal called me that they want 2.5 million membership cards for only the Northeast. Before, about two weeks ago, they bought only 500.”
He revealed that online membership registration surged so rapidly that the ADC’s system had to be moved to a foreign server. “Our website has moved into the Amazon… it crashed two times, and we had to move it into one of the sophisticated foreign warehouses.”
On the internal crisis with former presidential candidate Dumebi Kachikwu, Nwosu confirmed his expulsion. “We had ADL, which our NEC organised, and we recalled those people. And in our NEC yesterday, we pardoned them of everything. But Dumebi Kachikwu… we said for him, we don’t want him anymore.”
He accused Kachikwu of receiving funds to derail the coalition. “He has been the number one agent that is collecting resources from anywhere and funding the process to derail what we are doing as far as consolidating our coalition is concerned.”
While acknowledging the ongoing struggle, Nwosu said the party was not distracted. “One of the biggest call that the coalition has made, choosing someone like David Mark and Governor Aregbesola, critical,” he said.
He concluded with optimism,“We’re just praying that everything will continue going well… all the ideas that the new leadership has will work out well moving on.”
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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