Why ADC lost Anambra, FCT polls – Aregbesola

The National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rauf Aregbesola, has explained the factors behind the party’s defeat in both the Anambra State governorship election and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) area council polls.

Speaking at the party’s ongoing national convention on Tuesday, Aregbesola said the ADC faced several challenges that hindered its chances of success in the November 25 Anambra election and the February 26 FCT local government polls.

He pointed to external pressures such as the advantage of incumbency, widespread vote monetisation, and alleged misuse of state power by rival parties as major obstacles.

Aregbesola also acknowledged internal shortcomings within the ADC, noting that inadequate funding and lack of proper preparedness weakened the party’s performance.

“Our party participated in the 2025 Anambra State and the February 26 FCT local government election.

“We were not victorious for various reasons, including the fact that our opponents employed the power of incumbency, monetization of the electoral process and misuse of state power.

“On our side, we suffered from poor funding and the general non-readiness of our structure.

“However, we have learnt from this lessons and are ready for forthcoming Ekiti and Osun states governorship elections,” he stated.

Despite the setbacks, he expressed confidence that the lessons learned would strengthen the party ahead of future contests, particularly in Ekiti and Osun states.

It would be recalled that during the FCT Area Council elections, the All Progressives Congress (APC) secured five out of the six available seats, leaving only one position for the opposition.