• Denies link with Alia
• Kachikwu says coalition on slippery slope to failure

National Publicity Secretary of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Bolaji Abdullahi, has said no governor is willing to join the party due to alleged intimidation.

Also, its Benue State chapter debunked rumours that it was being sponsored by Governor Hyacinth Alia to provide him an alternative platform in the 2027 elections.

However, the ADC presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Dumebi Kachikwu, saw the opposition coalition on a “slippery slope”.During the third expanded meeting of the Northern Political Consultative Group (NPCG) in Abuja, at the weekend, Abdullahi suggested that some governors were being compelled to endorse rival presidential candidates despite their preferences.

“No serving governor would be willing to cross over because of the intimidation they are facing,” Abdullahi stated. “We know what they are doing to them. Some of them who cannot jump to their party are saying we are endorsing their presidential candidate. No problem. But what you are seeing is a conspiracy against the Nigerian people.”

Abdullahi’s comments came amid a dynamic political landscape where various reports suggest a realignment of forces ahead of the 2027 general elections.

On July 1, opposition leaders, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party (LP)’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, former transportation minister, Rotimi Amaechi, and former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, unveiled the ADC as a new coalition platform to challenge President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

Former Senate president, David Mark, and former Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola, were announced as interim national chairman and secretary of the party, respectively. Despite the line-up of political heavyweights, no sitting governor has joined the coalition since its launch.

The clarification on Alia was contained in a statement issued at the weekend in Makurdi by the Publicity Secretary of the Benue ADC Steering Committee, Stevie Ayua.

The statement noted that after the unveiling of ADC in the state on July 10, 2025, the party immediately swung into action to register enthusiastic members from across every nook and cranny of the state, who were eager to join the new platform.
 
He pointed out that the activities were being funded with voluntary contributions by dedicated stakeholders and party faithful and not from any external influence or Governor Alia, as being rumoured by enemies of the party.

Speaking during an interview on The Volume Pod, Kachikwu said the opposition coalition “will fail”. Since opposition politicians formally adopted the ADC earlier this month, Kachikwu has consistently criticised the alliance.
 
Kachikwu challenged the coalition’s legitimacy, citing unresolved legal disputes in court over ADC leadership. He said Ralph Nwosu’s term as ADC national chairman expired two years ago, and he lacked the authority to transfer leadership to select persons in a controversial coalition.

“They are walking down a very slippery slope that only ends in one place: failure. You cannot build something on nothing,” he said. “Two courts in two different jurisdictions did not make a mistake when they ruled that the tenure of this man (Nwosu) had elapsed.” He said some coalition members now regret forming an alliance using the ADC.

“All these men now realise that they made a mistake in entering this party without dealing with these issues because they are reaching out to me through several people,” Kachikwu said.