ADC Addresses Obi, El-Rufai Membership Delay, Welcomes Maduabum Amid 2027 Political Shifts

On Sunday, July 20, 2025, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) addressed the delay in the full membership of Mr. Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, and Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, former Kaduna State governor, during a media briefing in Abuja. Interim National Publicity Secretary Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi clarified that both leaders were granted permission to complete pending electoral processes, such as by-elections and governorship candidate selections, within their respective parties—Obi with the Labour Party and El-Rufai with the Social Democratic Party—before formally joining the ADC. Abdullahi emphasized their commitment to the ADC coalition, assuring that they would fully integrate once these processes conclude, and dismissed concerns about internal legal issues, stating the party had closed all loopholes to counter potential sabotage by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He also condemned a restriction order by Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo barring Obi from the state, calling it undemocratic and a sign of growing authoritarianism among APC governors, asserting that Nigerians have the right to free movement within the country.

In a related development, Mr. C.I.D. Maduabum, former Director-General of the PDP Governors’ Forum, resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on July 20, citing its “moral decay” and internal collapse, and joined the ADC. In a statement, Maduabum described his move as a commitment to political reform, emphasizing the ADC’s focus on merit, youth inclusion, and national unity to rebuild Nigeria. Meanwhile, Chief Ayiri Emami, an APC chieftain in Delta State, dismissed speculation that former Deputy Senate President Senator Ovie Omo-Agege plans to defect to the ADC, affirming Omo-Agege’s loyalty to the APC. However, Emami warned against new entrants attempting to dominate the party, citing past sacrifices by loyalists and internal power imbalances in Delta’s APC leadership.

The Obidient Movement in Ebonyi State, during an event in Abakaliki marking Peter Obi’s 64th birthday, warned the ADC against selling its 2027 presidential ticket to the highest bidder, advocating for a free and fair primary. Dr. Ezeh Emmanuel Ezeh, a member of the movement’s National Advisory Committee, hailed Obi as an “institution of hope” with the competence and compassion needed to address Nigeria’s challenges, while Mr. Splendour Oko Eze, the 2023 Labour Party governorship candidate, insisted Obi’s electoral success makes him the most qualified candidate. Separately, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, former Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria, declared at an interdenominational service for the late former President Muhammadu Buhari that no ADC leader could inherit Buhari’s 12 million vote bank. He argued that aspirants lack Buhari’s integrity, transparency, and moral compass, and their attempts to leverage a northern card to disrupt regional power rotation would fail due to the sophistication of northern voters and the ADC’s inability to secure the loyalty of Buhari’s Congress of Progressive Change base.