Don’t Judge ADC On By-Election Losses – Abdullahi
The African Democratic Congress has urged that it should not be judged by its failure to win any seat in last month’s by-elections.
ADC spokesman Bolaji Abdullahi, while speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, said the contests came too soon after the party’s leadership transition and should not be a yardstick for its potential.
Asked why ADC had a poor outing in the by-election, Abdullahi argued the party was not electorally ready.
“We’ve explained it, we’ve issued a statement, we’ve talked about it several times. For us, the election happened less than a month after we came into the party. Most of the candidates, we didn’t even know them, and that’s why we said we cannot judge the ADC by that.
“You’re just talking about us transitioning into establishing our real leadership at this time. So, the by-election that you talked about happened too early in terms of transition for the party.
“So, we don’t want to be judged by the outcome of that election; other elections are coming, and we will be ready for those.”
He said, following the official recognition of the David Mark-led leadership of ADC by INEC.
OSUN DEFENDER reports that INEC has officially acknowledged David Mark as the National chairman of the coalition-backed party.
Other national leaders of the ADC include Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary, Dr. Ibrahim Mani as National Treasurer, Akibu Dalhatu as National Financial Secretary, and Professor Oserheimen Aigberaodion Osunbor as National Legal Adviser.
Setting out the party’s longer-term political aim, Abdullahi said the priority is building a mass party rather than chasing immediate victories.
“We want Nigerians to get to 2027 and ask themselves, has this ruling party improved our lives or made our lives worse?… So we want a situation where people want a change, they can look back and see our party as a viable alternative,” he said.
Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.
