By Roy Ofori, Global Affairs Editor, African Heritage International Magazine, as monitored from The Sun, 30 November 2025
In a political climate marked by widespread public disillusionment, economic fragility, and geopolitical uncertainty, Nigeria’s 2027 general election is shaping up to be one of the most consequential electoral contests on the African continent. The African Democratic Congress (ADC), once considered a fringe progressive formation has re-emerged at the centre of a bold new opposition coalition involving some of the most recognizable political figures of the Fourth Republic: former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, and former Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi.
In an exclusive interview monitored from The Sun on November 30, 2025, the Founding National Chairman of the ADC, Chief Ralph Okey Nwosu, made what many observers would describe as his most unambiguous declaration yet: “The APC does not stand a chance in 2027.”
From a global perspective, one defined by democratic realignments and an increasing citizen demand for accountability, Nwosu’s assertions reflect a broader continental pattern: traditional ruling parties are losing legitimacy, while coalition-led citizen movements are gaining momentum.
A Nation at 65: Lost Years, Lost Vision
Nwosu’s reflections on Nigeria’s 65th independence anniversary paint a somber picture. Comparing Nigeria’s trajectory with nations that have pursued coherent long-term visions; Saudi Arabia with Vision 2030, or Rwanda’s Vision 2050, he lamented Nigeria’s chronic absence of strategic planning since 1999.
Except for the short-lived Vision 2020 under President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Nwosu argues, Nigeria’s leadership has operated as though “development can be pursued in a dark alley.”
He describes the last decade under the APC as “directionless,” criticizing the Tinubu administration’s “Renewed Hope” mantra as lacking substance, cohesion, and a national development framework.
For global observers, this critique mirrors broader international concerns: Africa’s largest democracy has not only stagnated but drifted without a coherent national strategy, an anomaly for a country of its demographic and economic potential.
The Coalition Logic: Why Individuals, Not Parties, Are Driving Change
Critics have questioned why the ADC’s emerging coalition is driven by individuals rather than formal party mergers. Nwosu offers a structural explanation: legacy parties, he argues, are too compromised, undisciplined, and rigid to serve as vehicles for transformation.
He recalls earlier coalition efforts including the CNM (Coalition for Nigeria Movement) convened by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2018 which, after extensive due diligence, chose the ADC as its preferred landing platform.
From a governance and political systems standpoint, this aligns with global trends:
• In France, Emmanuel Macron bypassed traditional parties through En Marche.
• In Ukraine, Zelensky built a movement-led political upheaval outside legacy structures.
• In Kenya, reform coalitions repeatedly emerged around individuals rather than rigid party machines.
Nwosu argues that Nigeria’s moment is similar: the movement requires values-driven leaders, not decaying party infrastructures.
PDP Has Collapsed, APC Has Lost Legitimacy, ADC Now the People’s Party
In a direct and unapologetic assessment, Nwosu declared the PDP effectively dead, describing today’s political order as “APDP” a fusion of APC and PDP elites serving common interests.
According to him, the ADC now occupies the space of the only “people-centred, values-based national movement” with the moral confidence to challenge the ruling order.
This is consistent with independent domestic polling, some privately commissioned by international democracy observers which suggests that an opposition coalition with a unified message could command overwhelming public support.
Why ADC Believes 2027 Is Already Tilting in Its Favour
Nwosu cites polling models, national mood assessments, and widespread public frustration as the basis for his confidence that the ADC could secure over 80% of the national vote provided a free and fair election is held.
He points to:
• runaway inflation
• removal of fuel subsidy without safety nets
• skyrocketing fuel price from ₦150 to nearly ₦1000
• elite opulence in the face of mass deprivation
• poor infrastructure priorities, including the controversial coastal highway
• persistent medical tourism by the presidency
• escalating insecurity and rural attacks
• the National Assembly’s insulation from public hardship
To global governance experts, these conditions represent a classic pre-election inflection point: ruling parties across Africa typically lose elections when economic pain converges with elite indifference.
Electoral Act vs People’s Power: Why ADC Is Relying on Mass Mobilisation
Nwosu dismisses expectations of a meaningful reform of the Electoral Act before 2027, arguing that the “rubber stamp” National Assembly cannot produce credible reform.
Instead, he outlines a strategy anchored in overwhelming popular mobilisation targeting 40 million active voters, with the expectation that once the ADC commands 80% of that turnout, “no power can change that result.”
This reflects a global trend where social movements rely on voter-scale, not institutional goodwill, to safeguard democratic outcomes.
A Statesman Steps Aside: Nwosu’s Transition to a Mentor Role
One of the more profound elements of the interview is Nwosu’s personal stance on stepping down as National Chairman. He frames the decision as a symbolic transition from positional authority to moral leadership, a model seen in maturing political movements worldwide.
He positions himself as:
• a mentor to emergent leaders
• a guardian of the party’s founding values
• a motivator for a new leadership culture built on integrity, emotional intelligence, and national service
His remarks underscore a global leadership principle: sustainable political movements are built on values and institutions—not on a single individual’s grip on power.
Global Outlook: Nigeria’s 2027 Election as a Test of African Democratic Renewal
From a global affairs standpoint, the ADC’s coalition strategy represents one of Africa’s most significant democratic experiments heading into 2027. If successful, it could:
• reset Nigeria’s leadership culture,
• reshape West Africa’s political trajectory, and
• restore Nigeria’s credibility within the African Union, ECOWAS, and the global diplomatic community.
Chief Nwosu’s interview may well be remembered as an early manifesto of a political realignment designed not merely to capture power, but to fundamentally redefine governance in Africa’s largest democracy.
