ADC Moves To Reconcile Aggrieved Aspirants

National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator David Mark, has charged the party’s governorship candidates to shun hate speech, ethnic and religious profiling, political violence and empty promises as they commence campaigns for the 2027 general elections.

Mark gave the charge on Monday in Abuja at a consultation meeting with the party’s governorship candidates from across the country.

He urged the candidates to ensure that promises made during their campaigns were realistic and achievable, warning that making commitments they had no intention of fulfilling could undermine the integrity of the party.

“We are ADC. Our campaign must reflect the kind of country that we would like to build. Avoid hate speech, ethnic or religious profiling. We cannot be associated with violence in whatever form.

“Unlike the ruling party and the President, ADC does not believe that all is fair in politics,” he said.
Speaking with journalists after the meeting, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the meeting was convened by Mark to interact with the governorship candidates and address issues arising from the party’s primaries.

According to him, disagreements from the primaries had affected relationships among some members in certain states, prompting the party to urge the candidates to close ranks with their opponents.

He said the party would also establish a National Reconciliation Committee to work across the country and reconcile members ahead of the 2027 general election.

“The meeting was called for a couple of important reasons. One of which is the aftermath of the primaries. There were issues arising from the primaries that led to relationship issues in some states.

“So the party is urging the governorship candidates to close ranks with their opponents at the primaries level, and also to let them know that the party is setting up a national reconciliation committee that will work across the country to bring all party members together in the aftermath of the primaries and in preparation for the general election next year,” Abdullahi said.

He added that the membership of the committee would be announced soon.

Abdullahi said another major issue discussed at the meeting was the need for the candidates to run issue-based campaigns and avoid hate speech, religious or ethnic profiling and political violence.

He said Mark made it clear that such conduct was contrary to the principles of the ADC.

“The chairman made it clear to them that it is not the ADC way. We are not a party who believe that all is fair in politics. We don’t think that all is fair in politics.

“We believe that there are some things that politicians must not do that a political party must not do,” Abdullahi said.

He said the candidates were also directed to key into the national agenda of the party, particularly its commitment to reduce the cost of living and make life easier for Nigerians.

According to him, the party’s position on the restoration of fuel subsidy would be a major plank of the candidates’ campaigns.

“The chairman told them that they must key into the national agenda of the party, especially on the party’s commitment to bring back the issue of fuel subsidy, to make life easier, to bring support to Nigerians, and to ensure that we make life better for Nigerians,” he said.

Abdullahi said the issue of subsidy was not an isolated policy but one the ADC considered central to its campaign and a means of distinguishing the party from others.

He said the party would provide the candidates with details of how it intended to implement the policy.

On reports of the substitution or swapping of validly nominated ADC candidates by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Abdullahi said no candidate had complained of such an incident.

“No one has complained that his candidates or candidates that they know in their respective states have been substituted,” he said.

He, however, said the party had its records, while INEC had acknowledgement of the candidates submitted by the party, adding that any discrepancy brought to its attention would be dealt with administratively.

On possible attacks on ADC campaign trains, destruction of billboards or attempts to prevent the party’s candidates from campaigning in some states, Abdullahi said the party would resist such actions through legal means.

He said the ADC would not respond to political violence with violence, stressing that the party would rely on the law and the courts to challenge any provocation.

“We are not going to say that our party will return violence for violence. Violence is not the ADC way, and we are saying that political violence, hate speech, or whatever form is forbidden in our party,” he said.

Abdullahi said the party had also been compiling cases it considered political intimidation and threats, including alleged statements threatening voters.

He said the ADC would challenge such actions through lawful means.

He also alleged that some measures in certain states, including high charges for campaign billboards, were aimed at restricting opposition parties’ access to the communication space.

“We have words that we will use as weapons. We have courts that we use as weapons. We have laws that we use as weapons, and we will fight it because we are democrats,” Abdullahi said.

On what the party would do if any of its candidates became involved in political thuggery or violated the party’s campaign rules, Abdullahi said the ADC had mechanisms for dealing with such cases.

“What we have emphasised from the start is that we are building a party that is able to impose its authority on its own candidates, and that’s the essence of what we are doing,” he said.