Nigerians, not Obasanjo, will decide 2027 election – ADC

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has said the outcome of the 2027 presidential election will be determined by Nigerians, not by the personal opinion of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The party stated this in a statement issued on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi.

The ADC accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of focusing on Obasanjo’s comments about its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, instead of addressing the country’s economic and security challenges.

According to the party, the 2027 election will be influenced by Nigerians’ daily experiences under the current administration, particularly on issues such as the economy, insecurity and the rising cost of living.

The ADC claimed the APC shifted attention to Obasanjo’s remarks after Catholic Bishops criticised the state of the nation during their recent meeting with President Bola Tinubu.

“The APC has become obsessed with our presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Instead of defending its record after the Catholic Bishops spoke about the state of the nation, it has chosen to use former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s comments to divert attention from its performance over the last three years,” Abdullahi said.

The opposition party further accused the APC of attacking critics instead of responding to concerns raised about governance.

“Whenever respected Nigerians speak about worsening poverty, insecurity, the rising cost of living or the loss of public confidence, the APC does not answer for its record. Instead, it looks for someone to attack. Yesterday it was the Catholic Bishops, today it is Atiku Abubakar, tomorrow it will be someone else,” the statement added.

Commenting on Obasanjo’s remarks, the ADC said the former president was entitled to his personal opinion but argued that his views would not erase Atiku Abubakar’s record in government.

The party also challenged the Federal Government to explain the continued rise in food prices, increasing poverty, unemployment, growing public debt and persistent insecurity despite its claims of economic progress.

According to the ADC, these issues, rather than the views of any individual, will shape the decision Nigerians make at the 2027 presidential election.

“The 2027 presidential election will not be determined by the opinion of any individual but by the daily realities of over 200 million Nigerians who, today, are poorer, face greater insecurity and are more uncertain about their future than they were before the Tinubu administration came into office,” the party said.