The planned coalition of opposition elements against President Bola Tinubu has denied claims that it has adopted the African Democratic Congress as its political party ahead of the 2027 general election.
The coalition is led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and a handful of opposition leaders and aggrieved elements of the ruling All Progressives Congress.
The coalition also dismissed reports that it appointed a former Vice Chairman, Northwest, of APC, Salihu Lukman, as its Head of Secretariat.
Lukman, who is the interim spokesperson for the coalition, disclosed this in a statement issued Thursday in Abuja.
The Eagle Online had reported that the planned coalition being formed by the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party and Labour Party in the 2023 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi; a former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, and others ahead of the 2027 elections to tackle President Bola Tinubu has decided on the party to use.
According to available information, the members of the coalition took the decision at an all night meeting between Tuesday and Wednesday.
The meeting, sources told The Eagle Online, was held in Abuja, starting late on Tuesday.
It ended in the early hours of Wednesday.
The Eagle Online learnt that a former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; a former Governor of Rivers State and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; and a former Governor of Osun State and former Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, were also at the meeting.
The well attended meeting was said to have agreed that the coalition should use the ADC as the vehicle to unseat President Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress in 2027.
On why the coalition settled for the ADC instead of the Social Democratic Party into which some of its prominent members have dissolved, including el-Rufai, a source told The Eagle Online that this was because the rules of the party allowed for easy membership.
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Largely considered was said to have been the length of membership for members to be able to stand for elective positions.
The SDP was considered a bit difficult to achieve the plot of the coalition.
In a contradictory statement on Thursday, Lukman said: “The public should disregard the story, as it is completely false. No such decision has been taken.
“Also false is the report that the coalition has adopted the ADC at its meeting of Tuesday, May 20, 2025.”
According to him, the truth is that negotiations among all the coalition leaders are progressing very well, and final decisions about the political platform for the 2027 election will be taken soon.
“Unfortunately, there appear to be some mischief makers promoting and planting stories in the media with the clear aim of sowing seeds of discord among coalition leaders.
“The public and the media should please disregard all these mischievous stories.
“Once negotiations are concluded, a formal announcement will be made by the leaders of the coalition,” he stated.
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