2027: ADC faction rejects Ibadan opposition summit

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…says ‘Charity must begin at home’’

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By Luminous Jannamike

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ABUJA — Fresh cracks have opened within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) after a faction of the party distanced itself from last Saturday’s opposition summit in Ibadan, where leading figures resolved to field a single presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.

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The dispute centres on whether to push ahead with opposition alliances or first confront the party’s internal divisions, with calls for the house to be put in order before any outward political moves are made.

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Kingsley Temitope Ogga, National Chairman of the ADC faction aligned with the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, told Vanguard on Sunday that he neither attended nor supported the Ibadan meeting involving Governor Seyi Makinde and other opposition figures.

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“That is politics. And I do not think only ADC members were there. No, I was not there, but I think they call themselves a coalition, an opposition group, so to speak, so it was not only ADC members who attended,” he added.

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While he acknowledged the intentions behind the meeting, Ogga made it clear that his concern lies elsewhere.

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“Well, their demands may be fine in terms of what they call the advancement of democracy. But for me, I believe we have other things to address regarding what they are doing,” he said.

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Ogga returned to what he described as the real issue confronting the party.

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“We are supposed to put our house in order first, rather than what we are currently doing. The internal problems we have need to be resolved before we look outward,” he said.

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Ogga maintained that this position has remained unchanged, even as coalition talks gather momentum.

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“Charity begins at home. Let us put our party in order internally before we go outside. That is the point I have been making to them,” he said.

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He warned that failure to resolve internal disputes could weaken the party’s credibility in the eyes of Nigerians.

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“If we cannot manage our own political party and resolve our internal issues, how are we going to fix Nigeria’s economy, security, and other challenges?” he asked.

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He then widened the argument, framing it as a test of leadership.

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“If we cannot handle our own small matters, how can we fix the bigger problems? That is the question Nigerians are asking,” he added.

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