ADC: A Playground Of Power-Hungry Politician, Not A Coalition— APC Blasts Oppositions
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a “playground of power-hungry politicians” rather than a credible coalition, as internal tensions continue to rock the opposition party.
APC National Publicity Secretary, Barrister Felix Morka, made the remark on Tuesday during an appearance on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, where he reacted to the deepening leadership crisis within the ADC.
Recall that On April 1, 2026, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) suspended the recognition of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) leadership, citing a Court of Appeal ruling to maintain the “status quo” amidst a leadership tussle. The commission removed the names of National Chairman David Mark and National Secretary Rauf Aregbesola from its official portal, stating it would no longer accept correspondence from either the Mark-led faction or the rival faction led by Nafiu Bala Gombe until a final judgment from the Federal High Court.
This decision effectively froze the party’s institutional recognition and prevented it from conducting monitored congresses or conventions. The ADC leadership has since rejected the move, calling it an “extrajudicial action” and an attempt to destabilize the opposition ahead of the 2027 elections.
Meanwhile, the turmoil, Morka argued, exposes the party’s lack of institutional coherence and the individual ambitions driving its members.
“The real question should be, how come all of these individuals, Atiku Abubakar, Rotimi Amaechi, Peter Obi, El Rufai, and Rauf Aregbesola; who have brought themselves into the ADC, deceive Nigerians to call it a coalition. That is not a coalition,” he said, setting the tone for a sharp indictment of the opposition.
Background — ADC’s Internal Rift
The ADC has been in turmoil since 2025, when internal disagreements escalated following the resignation of its National Chairman. The resulting power vacuum triggered a series of legal disputes involving prominent figures within the party, most notably the controversial Deputy National Chairman, Nafiu Bala Gombe.
This has resulted to opposition voices, including the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, calling out the APC for intentionally inciting rifts within the party as the ruling party seems to gain more from the disarray of other parties, a statement the president asserted.
According to the APC, this internal collapse is a reflection of weak governance culture and personal ambition overriding democratic norms. “When the APC was formed in 2013, it was a merger of political parties that collapsed entirely into one structure. This ADC is not a merger. It’s not a coalition. It’s just an assembly of some disgruntled, frustrated, desperate politicians who are only interested in power, Because if you’re telling me that everybody in the ADC, you know, that they are so easily, you know, manipulated, they are so easily deceived, so easily hoodwinked, and they have no character, and they have no prestige, and they have no manners, and they have no will of their own. If that is the people who are in the ADC, Nigeria should not lose any sleep. Because this must be the dreg of our society, who can be easily, you know, peeled away from the ADC and manipulated and turned around and deceived by somebody.” Morka said.
The Motive: Power, Not Governance
Morka highlighted that the individuals now dominating the ADC are driven by personal ambition rather than the interests of Nigerians. “They’re not interested in governance because they’re not acting like people who are interested in governance. They just want to, according to you, they have declared that their mantra is, okay, President Tinubu must not, you know, be president. If we can’t be president, he must not be president,” he said.
The APC’s National Publicity Secretary argued that the opposition’s narrative of being a “coalition for democracy” is a facade. “They are saying we are more entitled to be president. They’re not looking to offer Nigerians any alternative process for reinventing our democracy. That’s not their mission. Their mission is to seize power for the sake of power, to satisfy their rent-seeking behavior, and just meet their arrogance. That’s it.”
Past Failures of ADC Members
Morka did not spare ADC leaders from scrutiny, citing decades-long failures. “All of these individuals that are in the ADC, what exactly do they bring? They have been in government for upwards of 25 years or more. They failed individually. Take one of each of them,” he said.
He singled out former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, referencing past mismanagement. “Atiku Abubakar, that is also the man who self-confessed to his party and his regime squandering 16 billion dollars that was meant to provide electricity for our country. They squandered it. Nobody has done anything about it to today. But they blew the money. He confessed to it. I mean, anywhere you look, there are videos of him everywhere, you know, saying, look, you know, listen, we mismanaged the money.”
On Rotimi Amaechi, he added, “Rotimi Amaechi has been, like, basically state property. He’s lived all of his life, literally, on the bill of the state government and the federal government. So, these are not people who have any ideas.”
*Twinkle Stars, Not Leaders*
Morka’s critique extended to the collective influence of ADC’s leadership. “As individuals, when you hear Atiku Abubakar, former vice president, it sounds like a superstar. Each one of these people in their own right appear to be superstars. But when they come together, as I said recently, they are nothing but twinkle, twinkle little stars. And they have made no impact in this system of democracy as we know it today.”
The leaders of the new ADC coalition represent some of the most powerful executive and legislative resumes in Nigeria’s democratic history. At the forefront are Atiku Abubakar, a former Vice President, and David Mark, a retired General and Nigeria’s longest-serving Senate President. They are joined by a formidable group of former governors, including Peter Obi (Anambra), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), and Rauf Aregbesola (Osun). This collective experience spans decades of sub-national governance and high-level federal administration.
Beyond their roles as state executives, many of these figures have held key ministerial and regulatory positions that shaped the nation’s infrastructure and economy. Amaechi and Aregbesola recently served as Ministers of Transportation and Interior, respectively, while El-Rufai is a former FCT Minister and Kwankwaso a former Minister of Defence. Obi brought private-sector expertise as a former bank chairman and head of the Securities and Exchange Commission. By consolidating their diverse political bases—ranging from the “Kwankwasiyya” movement in the North to strongholds in the South-East and South-South—these veterans have positioned the ADC as a “super-coalition” designed to challenge the political status quo.
However, Morka accused ADC members of whining over lost political relevance rather than contributing positively. “They are just whining because they are not in power and they need to get back into power desperately so that they can continue to pillage and do what they’ve done over the years.”
Morka blasted their appearance saying the ADC is not a coalition. “These are individuals, not political parties. They are not merging ideologies; they are merging egos. That is not what democracy requires. It’s not what a serious political movement looks like. This is purely about self-interest.”
He warned that such opportunistic behaviour threatens Nigeria’s democratic discourse. “Their mission is to seize power for power’s sake, to satisfy their personal arrogance.
And Nigerians must not be deceived by this charade. Leadership is not about entitlement; it’s about capability, service, and vision.”
Internal Weaknesses — Easily Manipulated?
The APC spokesperson claimed the ADC is vulnerable due to the character of its members. “When those who make the allegation confront them with proof, demand proof that the APC is involved. Because if you’re telling me that everybody in the ADC is so easily manipulated, so easily deceived, and they have no character, and they have no prestige, and they have no manners, and they have no will of their own…”
He warned that Nigeria must recognise the reality of the opposition. “If that is the people who are in the ADC, Nigeria should not lose any sleep. Because this must be the dreg of our society, who can be easily peeled away from the ADC and manipulated and turned around and deceived by somebody.”
Meanwhile, Morka emphasised the broader implications of ADC’s instability. “If that is the quality of people they have in the ADC, then of course Nigeria should see them for what they are and reject them comprehensively. Because they are not even capable of running their own party. Why should anybody then force them to run a country as complex as Nigeria?”
He stressed that governance requires competence, vision, and commitment to service qualities absent in the opposition coalition.
Accountability Over Blame
Throughout the interview, Morka repeatedly urged Nigerians to hold opposition actors accountable. “This is about recognising failure where it exists. When you have individuals who have spent decades in positions of power and failed, then claim they can run the country, that is not credible. That is dangerous.”
He criticised ADC’s efforts to shift responsibility to the APC as a diversionary tactic. “It’s a convenient narrative to distract from their own inadequacies. Nigerians deserve honesty and accountability, not spin and manipulation.”
Morka urged voters to critically assess the opposition’s motives and track records. “Look at their history. Look at their performance. Then you will see who deserves to govern this country. The ADC is not a coalition; it is a playground for power-hungry individuals who have failed repeatedly and whose only ambition is to reclaim what they lost, regardless of the consequences for Nigeria.”
He reinforced the principle that leadership requires accountability, competence, and respect for democratic processes not entitlement, theatrics, or opportunism.