Key opposition figures on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), including Atiku Abubakar, David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola, met in Abuja yesterday for a book launch that doubled as an early show of force, signalling growing unity against the ruling APC ahead of 2027.
The event was the public presentation of ‘The Loyalist’, written by ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi.In what appeared to be a subtle statement that the party’s leaders have democratic credentials and experience handling national crises, the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), David Mark, clarified that the doctrine of necessity that empowered Dr Goodluck Jonathan to assume the presidency in an acting capacity was purely the decision of the Senate under his leadership and had nothing to do with any influence from elements in Kwara State.
The Senate had invoked what it described as the doctrine of necessity to allow then Vice President Jonathan to act in place of his ailing principal, the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who was receiving medical treatment in Saudi Arabia.
In the same breath, Mark urged Nigerians to see “the mission to rescue Nigeria” as a “collective” responsibility. Also, the ADC National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, explained that defections by state governors will not guarantee victory for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections, insisting that elections are won by the people, not political office holders.
Aregbesola, a former governor of Osun State, described the growing wave of defections to the ruling party as worrisome for Nigeria’s democracy, adding that recent electoral statistics do not support claims that governors determine election outcomes. He challenged the APC to commit to a free and fair electoral process, saying only such conditions would reveal the true will of the people.
Citing results from the South-West and South-East in the last general election, Aregbesola said control of states does not automatically translate into votes. He noted that despite the APC controlling nearly all states in the South-West, the party secured only 55 per cent of the votes in the zone, while other parties shared the remainder.
He also referenced Lagos, where the APC candidate lost his ward, local government and state, and pointed out that in the South-East the party recorded just 5.8 per cent of the total votes.
According to him, the outcomes showed clearly that “governors do not win elections, the people do”, stressing that what Nigerians require from authorities is a firm commitment to free and fair elections.
Atiku urges Nigerians to embrace patriotic loyalty
For his part, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar urged Nigerians to view loyalty through the prism of patriotism rather than personal interests, saying true loyalty should be anchored on service to country, community and shared values.
The former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections said he had suffered exile, attempted assassination and public vilification on account of loyalty, stressing that such sacrifices were part of the price paid by many committed to national service.
He said the book challenges readers to examine loyalty to country, institutions and moral principles, noting that it offers “a principled lens for distinguishing truth from rhetoric” and encourages reflection on how loyalty can unite Nigerians in pursuit of a just future.
“Many of us here, particularly Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi and myself, have suffered because of loyalty. I have personally faced exile as a result of loyalty. I have survived assassination attempts as a result of loyalty,” Atiku said.
He added that loyalty should strengthen common goals rather than narrow the circle of belonging, emphasising the need for accountability, transparency and respect for diverse opinions in leadership and public service.
Atiku also highlighted the role of literature in shaping public conscience, describing The Loyalist as part of a tradition that brings policy debates to life by revealing their human and ethical dimensions.
He called for civic unity, saying Nigeria’s diversity remained its strength, and urged leaders and citizens alike to foster dialogue across generations, regions and political persuasions. Addressing members of the ADC, Atiku said they had a collective responsibility to help salvage Nigeria, describing the current administration as the worst he had witnessed in nearly four decades of political life, including military regimes.
According to him, the convergence of different political tendencies within the ADC presented a unique opportunity to rebuild the country’s democratic journey.
“If there is anything positive in our recent political development, it is this coming together to rescue the country,” he said, adding that the party must work towards building a new political organisation capable of restoring hope and delivering good governance.
He thanked the contributors, organisers and supporters of the book, urging readers to see it not merely as a story but as a guide to personal and collective responsibility.
Abdullahi urges ADC leaders to unite, warns disunity could derail 2027
The author, Bolaji Abdullahi, said that while Nigerians appear ready for political change, the party’s leaders have yet to demonstrate the unity required to meet public expectations. He urged opposition leaders to set aside personal ambitions and internal divisions, warning that disunity could undermine their chances in 2027.
“I think Nigerians are ready for us, but I don’t think we are ready yet — we the leaders,” he said, stressing that unity and shared purpose were critical if the ADC was to offer credible national leadership.
He noted that the book, which examines Nigeria’s political journey and the dynamics between godfathers and godsons, also offered ADC leaders an opportunity to reconnect, reinforcing his call for cohesion ahead of future political contests.
Abdullahi said Nigerians were watching closely and that the time had come for the party to demonstrate leadership. While delivering his vote of thanks, he disclosed that he had faced criticism on social media from supporters of different aspirants, but insisted he would continue to speak frankly in the interest of the country.
“For 2027, Nigerians are ready. But I don’t think we are ready. We are not coming together enough. Nigerians look at us; they see different enclaves and different entities. They see competition rather than cooperation,” he said.
He appealed to party leaders to unite and channel supporters’ energy towards strengthening the ADC, stressing that Nigeria had no alternative and that the party’s mission must rise above individual ambitions.
Abdullahi said encounters with Nigerians across the country had reinforced the urgency of the task, noting that many had urged opposition leaders not to fail them.
“I am making this appeal: please, come together more. Let our followers direct their passion into the ADC. Let them know there is only one party, and our mission is bigger than anything — any individual or individual ambition,” he said.
‘The Loyalist’ arouses curiosity, offers revealing insight, says Baba-Ahmed
The book reviewer, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, described ‘The Loyalist’ as a compelling and revealing account that captures key elements of Nigeria’s social and political evolution.
Baba-Ahmed said the title initially aroused his prejudice and heightened his curiosity about the book. “I thought the choice of the title of the autobiography, which brands the writer a loyalist, was something to ponder over,” he said, adding that he approached the book with expectations that were eventually proven wrong.
He said the 10-chapter, 297-page book turned out to be “one of the most readable and revealing books” he had read in a long time, describing it as a study of courage that “cuts both ways”.
According to Baba-Ahmed, the book captures major aspects of Nigeria’s contemporary social and political character, recalling a time when public-funded education adequately prepared young Nigerians for leadership and when journalists shaped the polity and were respected by those in power.
He said the narrative also highlights the value of intellect and character, as well as the weaknesses of individuals when confronted with entrenched institutions and traditions, noting the fleeting nature of power.
“The Loyalist is a really compelling and simple narrative, the type that keeps you awake way beyond the hours,” he said. Baba-Ahmed further described Abdullahi as a key participant in what he called an important political experiment, stressing that Nigeria urgently needs a strong opposition capable of challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress. He said the book should serve as standard reading for historians and political analysts interested in contemporary Nigerian politics.
The event was attended by prominent political figures, including the immediate past Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal; former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi; former Cross River State Governor Liyel Imoke; presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Mr Peter Obi; former Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi; former Kwara State Governor AbdulFatah AbdulRazaq; former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola; former Imo State Governor Emeka Ihedioha; and many others.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress has said it cannot prevent politicians from defecting to the ruling party, describing the recent wave of defections as a reflection of growing confidence in President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, stated this yesterday during an interview on Arise Television, where he responded to concerns over the increasing number of governors joining the APC, including the recent defection of the Kano State governor.
Morka said, “What you see is governors who have decided to join our party to identify with this resurging Nigeria that this President is clearly positioning Nigeria to be.” He added that the APC remained open to new members and would not act as a barrier to politicians seeking to join.
“We are happy, we are excited about people who join our party. We cannot be gatekeepers to filter out people who want to join our camp. We don’t do that because it is undemocratic,” Morka said.
The APC spokesman dismissed concerns that the growing number of defections posed a threat to Nigeria’s democracy or signalled a move towards a one-party state.
According to him, Nigeria had experienced similar political dominance in the past without undermining democratic governance. “The Peoples Democratic Party at some point in our history governed Nigeria with about the same number of governors,” he said.
“I was very active in the political world at that time and there was no spectre anywhere about a one-party state because the PDP had those numbers of governors. That’s not the case now, and I think we should not equate people joining our party with that mode,” Morka added.
2027: Competitive democracy under threat in Nigeria, warns El-Rufai
In a related development, a former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, warned that Nigeria’s tradition of competitive democracy is under threat as the country prepares for the 2027 general elections.
El-Rufai, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), made the assertion yesterday in an opinion piece titled ‘Democracy Without Competition? – Nigeria and the Road to 2027,’ shared on his verified Facebook page. He accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of attempting to re-engineer Nigeria into a democracy without competition, “featuring elections without real choice and power without legitimacy”.
The former governor said free and fair elections require not only credible electoral administration but also an open political environment where citizens can organise, speak and choose without fear.
He alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was increasingly uncomfortable with political pluralism and had embarked on what he described as an aggressive campaign to portray Nigeria as a virtual one-party state.
“Governors elected on opposition platforms have been cajoled, pressured or coerced into defecting. Alongside this poaching runs a more insidious programme: the deliberate weakening, factionalisation, or destruction of opposition parties capable of mounting a credible challenge in 2027,” he said.
El-Rufai recalled that before becoming president, Mr Tinubu spoke strongly in defence of democracy and the rule of law, but now appeared to operate contrary to those ideals. He noted that political competition had remained a defining feature of Nigeria’s Fourth Republic since 1999, despite its imperfections.
“The myth of incumbent invincibility was decisively broken in 2015, and the tightly fought elections of 2023 reaffirmed the enduring pluralism of Nigerian political life,” he said, adding that this democratic endurance “constitutes a credit not only to politicians and parties but to the ordinary Nigerian”.
However, he warned that “as the country moves toward the 2027 general elections, there are disturbing signs that this tradition of competitive democracy is under systematic threat”.
El-Rufai also alleged the persecution of individuals perceived as potential opposition figures, citing media vilification, reputational attacks and selective law enforcement.
“At the centre of this strategy is the growing politicisation of national security architecture,” he said, accusing security agencies of being pressured to target opposition politicians and businesses allegedly linked to them.
He cautioned Nigeria against emulating African regimes where ruling parties win elections by implausible margins, stressing that the Constitution does not justify political monopoly.
“Democracy without competition is not stability—it is stagnation. Elections without choice do not confer legitimacy; they merely postpone reckoning,” he said.
El-Rufai added that democratic backsliding carries economic consequences, warning that selective prosecutions and weakened institutions undermine investor confidence.
He urged political leaders to focus on strengthening democratic practice rather than suppressing opposition, saying governments should seek re-election based on their ability to deliver human security, quality education, healthcare, infrastructure and inclusive economic opportunities.