The task to unseat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027 will not be an easy task, the national chairman of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, David Mark, has declared.
The ADC new chairman who was unveiled during the week along with former governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, as national secretary, made the declaration in Abuja during the unveiling of the ADC as the 2027 opposition coalition platform to challenge Tinubu.
He, however, assured that the coalition was ready to do the battle as a sacrifices to make the nation better.
His words: “This coalition goes beyond seeking power; it is about rebuilding Nigeria.
“We are under no illusion that it will be an easy task. However, we are ready to embark on this journey as a sacrifice for our fatherland.
“This coalition aims to prevent our country from descending into a one-party state.
“Today marks the beginning of what we believe will be a long, difficult and tedious journey.
“However, it is a journey that we are prepared to undertake, united in our collective belief that no price or sacrifice is too high in the service of our fatherland.”
He said the alleged blatant destabilisation and infiltration of all major opposition political parties by the All Progressives Congress, APC, was aimed at achieving only one objective – to enhance total state capture and leave Nigerians with no alternative or options in 2027.
He said the coalition would prevent the country’s descent into a one-party state.
He added: “We have never seen a government so much at home with corruption, a government that disdains accountability in all ramifications. A government more concerned with the next election rather than the survival of the ordinary Nigerians.
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“A government so totally consumed with politicking that governance is abandoned, while the majority of our people wallow in hunger and poverty.
“We have never seen this level of insecurity across the length and breadth of our nation. Bandits and kidnappers kill Nigerians at will and on a daily basis. Yet, this ongoing tragedy has not moved the government to any action that would stop these mindless killings and stem the tide of needless bloodshed.”
Mark accused the government of total emasculation of the legislative institution.
“Never in our history have we witnessed a National Assembly where legislators, the trustees of the very bastion of our democracy, saddled with the sacred duty to protect Nigerians from misuse of executive power, are reduced to cheerleaders and praise singers of the President, head of the executive arm.
“Without doubt, the transformation of Nigeria’s National Assembly to a mere appendage of presidential authority is a dangerous conspiracy against the Nigerian people.
“It is the reason why the government is able to get away with various whimsical, unconstitutional policies and actions or inactions that have reduced more Nigerians to abject poverty and widened the boundaries of insecurity and fear,” Mark said.
Key members of the coalition were present at the unveiling.
They include the 2023 presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar and the Labour Party, Peter Obi.
Others are the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Victor Umeh; former PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus; Labour Party’s 2023 Vice Presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed; former APC National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun; and former Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar.
Present too were former Governors Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Gabriel Suswam (Benue), Abdulfattah Ahmed (Kwara), Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (Sokoto), Oserheimen Osunbor (Edo), and Celestine Omehia (Rivers), along with former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal.
Senator Dino Melaye, former Youth Minister Solomon Dalung, former Ekiti Deputy Governor Kolapo Olushola, Chief Dele Momodu, Senators Enyinnaya Abaribe, Suleiman Nazif, Lee Maeba, and Alhaji Kashim Iman were also present.
