El-Rufai Confirms Opposition Coalition to Unseat Tinubu, ADC Adopted as Platform

 

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has confirmed that opposition heavyweights are uniting to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the next general election. A closed-door meeting reportedly held on Tuesday night in Abuja brought together key figures including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, as they reached a consensus to adopt the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as their official platform.

The move signals a major realignment in Nigeria’s political landscape, with El-Rufai disclosing the development during his address at the Arewa TechFest in Katsina on Wednesday. He told the audience that a significant meeting took place at 8 PM the previous day, which marked a pivotal moment in the coalition's strategy to oust the current administration.

El-Rufai stated pointedly, “Yesterday at 8 PM, there was a very important meeting of the coalition we’re putting together to ensure that President Tinubu goes back to Lagos.” His comments were met with murmurs of both surprise and curiosity, reflecting the weight of what appears to be an emerging alliance against the incumbent.

While confirming the coalition's determination to remove Tinubu from office, El-Rufai clarified that the current Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, could retain his role in the next government due to what El-Rufai described as "good work." The statement stands out as a rare endorsement of a Tinubu appointee by a vocal opponent, possibly hinting at the coalition’s intention to adopt a merit-based approach rather than a wholesale purge of current officeholders.

A source familiar with the Tuesday meeting told DailyPost that the decision to settle on the ADC was reached after intense deliberations stretching into the early hours of Wednesday. “They have adopted the African Democratic Party as the coalition party, all of them — Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai — are working together. They came to the conclusion last night up till the early hours of this morning,” the insider disclosed.

This unprecedented collaboration between politicians who have previously stood on different sides of Nigeria’s political divide has ignited speculation about the structure and strategy of the proposed opposition front. The ADC, though historically a minor player in national elections, now stands to gain significant relevance as the chosen vehicle for a formidable coalition.

The political implications of such a merger are already rippling through the country’s corridors of power. Observers note that if the coalition succeeds in maintaining unity and mobilizing public support, it could present the most serious challenge to President Tinubu’s administration since his assumption of office.

As attention now turns to the composition, strategy, and manifesto of this emerging bloc, El-Rufai’s revelations have underscored a critical shift — one that could reshape the 2027 political terrain and redefine opposition politics in Nigeria.