With the 2027 governorship race fast approaching, the coalition of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is intensifying efforts to mobilise youths and women across Lagos in a bold bid to unseat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), KEHINDE OLATUNJI reports.

The Lagos chapter of the ADC is leveraging the popularity of the Labour Party’s (LP) 2023 governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, among youths and women, in collaboration with the grassroots network of the party’s National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola.

This move follows a series of defections by key members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and women’s groups into the ADC, forming what the party believes could be a formidable coalition to loosen the APC’s grip on Lagos politics.

The party appears confident that the combined influence of Rhodes-Vivour’s supporters, Aregbesola’s political machinery, and former PDP stalwarts now active within the coalition will give it a strong footing ahead of 2027.

As part of its broader strategy, the ADC is prioritising massive mobilisation of young voters across the state, many of whom are increasingly disillusioned with the current governance structure. The party is also targeting women, particularly professionals, market leaders, and grassroots organisers, who have persistently criticised the APC’s economic policies and what they describe as its exclusionary governance style since 1999.

In what appears to be a renewed push to challenge the APC’s dominance, the ADC has unveiled an ambitious plan to make youths and women the core of its 2027 campaign strategy.

Speaking during a recent mobilisation rally in Lagos, Aregbesola stated: “The Lagos chapter of ADC is working to convert rising political discontent and youth restiveness into structured political engagement, drawing lessons from the LP’s 2023 electoral performance that nearly disrupted decades of APC control in the state.”

Although the ADC was less visible in previous elections, party leaders believe the growing appetite among Lagos youths for alternative leadership offers an opportunity for resurgence.

One of the strategies already underway involves utilising data from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which indicates that youths comprise over 70 per cent of Nigeria’s registered voters, while women account for approximately 15 per cent.

The ADC has also pledged to increase women’s participation in governance, contrasting itself with the APC, which has consistently offered women less than 10 per cent of elective positions.

Positioning itself as a platform for inclusion and generational renewal, the party plans to establish Ward Youth Councils across all 377 wards in Lagos. Each ward will have at least 15 youth ambassadors drawn from students, artisans, traders, and creative professionals. The aim, according to party insiders, is to establish a structured grassroots presence that is independent of elite-driven politics, which they accuse the ruling party of perpetuating.

Under a proposed initiative tagged #ADCNextGen, the party intends to combine digital mobilisation with street-level activism, through town halls, community service projects, and student union engagements, to build loyalty among first-time voters and young professionals.

An ADC official told The Guardian: “We saw what happened in 2023 with the Labour Party. The energy was organic, youthful, and digital. But energy without structure fades quickly. What ADC is doing differently is marrying youth enthusiasm with enduring organisation.”

To strengthen its outreach among women, the party has launched a dedicated programme tagged Women in Focus. It plans to redress the historical underrepresentation of women in Lagos politics. ADC Lagos has introduced a 40 per cent inclusion policy for women in its ward and local government executives.

The chapter also plans to launch the Women Lead Lagos Academy, a leadership and campaign management platform that will train female aspirants, provide micro-grants, and connect them with civic mentors.

The academy is expected to collaborate with women’s cooperatives, market associations, and faith-based organisations to deepen engagement. Aregbesola said, “Women are the stabilising force of Lagos politics, from the markets to churches and mosques. You cannot win Lagos without them. The ADC’s goal is to train 500 women leaders by 2026, each representing a cluster of communities and households.”

The party also plans to replicate the Labour Party’s online mobilisation model from 2023. To this end, the ADC will establish a Data and Digital Operations Unit to manage voter information, monitor the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), and coordinate WhatsApp- and Telegram-based mobilisation cells.

A party member further revealed that the ADC is developing a mobile app for seamless membership registration, event tracking, and small-donor fundraising, targeting at least one million registered members by mid-2026.

Lagos ADC Chairman, George Ashiru, recently stated that the party is adopting a hybrid model of political engagement, combining physical mobilisation with digital participation.

“Young people no longer attend endless meetings; they engage online, but decisions still happen offline,” he said.
“We are presenting ourselves as the credible alternative, focusing on issue-based campaigns rather than personality battles. Our political language is transformational, appealing to the 80 per cent of voters who stay away from elections because they’ve lost faith in the system.”

Learning from the Labour Party’s 2023 experience, when its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, defeated President Bola Tinubu in Lagos but failed to replicate the same success in the governorship election, the ADC plans to launch a Door-to-Door Movement. This initiative will involve 10,000 volunteers engaging with residents in high-youth-density areas, including Alimosho, Surulere, Ikeja, Eti-Osa, Oshodi-Isolo, and Ikorodu.

The plan also includes collaboration with youth-focused organisations, such as Yiaga Africa and Enough Is Enough Nigeria, as well as campus groups, civic educators, and faith-based youth networks across Lagos.

In a bid to reduce the influence of political godfathers and moneybags, the ADC said it would operate a member-owned funding structure. The party plans to launch a transparent crowdfunding platform to support candidates and grassroots projects, with each local government unit publishing monthly expenditure reports to attract donor confidence.

However, political observers say that while the ADC’s new posture appears bold, its actual capacity to translate momentum into electoral victory remains uncertain. The party continues to struggle with internal cohesion and limited grassroots support.

Despite Aregbesola’s influence, especially in parts of Alimosho, analysts note that the ADC remains largely disconnected from grassroots politics and lacks the deep networks that sustain electoral success in Lagos. The ruling APC, aware of Aregbesola’s moves, has also worked quietly over the past two years to neutralise his political structures in the state.

Findings further reveal that many of the politicians who defected to the ADC have yet to build synergy within the new platform. Their previous parties were themselves fragmented, making the task of building unity within the ADC even more complex.

A governance expert, Onome Ewoh, told The Guardian that the ADC’s survival and growth will depend largely on its ability to consolidate alliances and deliver a coherent message to voters.

“The entrenched political structures in Lagos, long dominated by the APC under President Tinubu, pose an enormous challenge for the ADC. Dislodging such networks won’t be easy,” he said.

Ewoh’s assessment highlights the uphill battle faced by smaller opposition parties in Nigeria’s political landscape, one that demands internal discipline, credible leadership, and sustainable funding.

Former PDP chieftain turned ADC leader, Abimbola Ogunkelu, believes the state is due for a “major political reset.” He accused the APC of misgoverning Lagos for over two decades, wasting public resources, and failing to deliver democratic dividends.

“The convergence of coalitions under the ADC banner represents not just political alignment but a true coming together of visionaries and patriots committed to advancing democracy, inclusiveness, and good governance in our state,” he said.

In the same vein, Segun Osho said the movement became necessary to rescue Lagos. “We pledge our loyalty to the ADC. We are getting on board to rescue Lagos State and Nigeria,” he declared.

Niyi Adams, another defector, told The Guardian that the mass movement into ADC represents a silent revolution. “When we posted our resignation letters, over 600 members left the PDP within six hours,” he said. For now, the ADC has no elected representatives in Lagos and little visible presence across its 377 wards and 57 local government areas and LCDAs.

If the ADC gains traction in Lagos, citizens could benefit from fresh political ideas, youth inclusion, and an alternative to APC’s long dominance. The party’s rise may revive opposition politics, reduce godfather influence, and promote accountability.

However, Lagosians also risk instability, weak governance, and policy disruptions due to ADC’s limited structure and experience. Without strong leadership and federal alignment, the state could face funding hurdles and stalled projects.

While ADC’s promise of change appeals to reform-minded voters, its success depends on unity, credibility, and the capacity to deliver beyond rhetoric.

Meanwhile, a former Deputy National Chairman of PDP and Lagos stalwart, Bode George, has taken a sharp swipe at the emerging coalition under the ADC, declaring it neither credible nor structured enough to rescue Lagos from what he described as its “political captivity.”

George accused key PDP figures who joined the coalition. He said: “You can’t serve two masters; you either serve A or you serve B. But to say you are in A and B is a fallacy.”

Turning to Lagos specifically, George rejected claims that the PDP structure in the state was collapsing. He insisted the party remained strong: “It is absolutely nonsensical to say the PDP structure in Lagos State has collapsed into APC. This party is an Iroko tree, no matter the wind or storm, the Iroko will stand because of its deep roots.”

On the question of what Lagos needs for a “rescue mission,” George argued it was not about jumping to new formations, but consolidating and strengthening existing platforms with tested structures. He implied that the ADC coalition lacked the deeper grassroots capacity and coherent leadership to offer genuine alternative governance in Lagos.

Reacting to the perceived threat, APC Publicity Secretary, Seye Oladejo, dismissed ADC’s ambition as “a political illusion.” According to him, “When the likes of Aregbesola condemn the APC, they are not damaging the party; they are shredding their own résumé.”

He added: “Every attack on the APC is an attack on the very foundation of Aregbesola’s political career. It is akin to a man writing his autobiography with an eraser. Nigerians know better than to take such a self-destructive messenger seriously.”

Oladejo concluded with confidence: “In 2027, Lagosians and Nigerians will once again choose consistency over confusion, credibility over contradictions, and competence over comedy. The APC will be rewarded for performance, while Aregbesola and his ADC will be reminded that betrayal is not a political strategy.”