The African Democratic Congress ADC has declared that Nigeria’s ruling party has failed to win the trust and confidence of the Nigerian people, despite consolidating political power across states, warning that the country’s democracy is under growing threat.

This position was articulated by the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, during an appearance on The Morning Show on Arise Television, where he spoke on the theme of opposition politics in Nigeria and the road to the 2027 general elections.

Speaking during the interview, Abdullahi accused the ruling party of deliberately cultivating what he described as a “mindset of inevitability” aimed at weakening democratic competition and discouraging dissent. According to him, this strategy has created an environment where political alignment is driven more by fear and convenience than by conviction.

“The ruling party would like to create a mindset of inevitability,” he said, arguing that this has stripped recent defections of any meaningful ideological substance.

He explained that true opposition politics, especially for elected officials, demands courage and a firm belief in democratic values, qualities he believes are increasingly absent among those crossing over to the ruling party.

“It takes conviction, character, and courage in the nation for you to join the opposition party even as a sitting governor, which is what these individuals lack,” Abdullahi stated.

Building on this point, he maintained that while the ruling party may have succeeded in consolidating political power at the elite level, it has failed to secure the more critical foundation of democratic legitimacy.

“The ruling party may have succeeded in gathering all the governors in their party, but they have not been able to unite the people,” he said, questioning whether the government has truly convinced Nigerians that it remains the best option for their future.

“Have they been able to convince the people that they are the best option for them?” he asked.

He cited the growing grassroots momentum of the ADC as evidence that political legitimacy cannot be manufactured through elite alignment alone. Abdullahi disclosed that the party is preparing to unveil its headquarters in Asaba, Delta State, marking its presence as the twenty eighth state structure of the party.

Remarkably, he noted, this expansion is happening despite the ADC currently having no elected political office holders. He went on to assert that the party’s growth has positioned it as Nigeria’s most credible opposition force.

“ADC has grown to the point where it has single handedly become the de facto opposition party,” he declared.

The ADC spokesperson also raised concerns about what he described as a troubling contradiction in the federal government’s approach to democracy. While commending Nigeria’s swift intervention in the Benin Republic to restore democratic order, he questioned the government’s domestic actions.

“The government is quick to intervene in the Benin Republic to use the military to restore democracy,” Abdullahi said, “but back home in Nigeria, they are using legalism and the judiciary to undermine democracy.”

In a strongly worded conclusion, Abdullahi warned that the ruling All Progressives Congress APC now poses a serious danger to Nigeria’s democratic foundations.

“APC today represents the greatest threat to Nigerian democracy,” he said.

Responding to suggestions that divisions among opposition leaders, particularly the ongoing Obi Atiku dynamics, constitute the biggest threat to democracy, Abdullahi dismissed the claim, stating that the matter is already being addressed internally.

He described the issue as one of concern but emphasized that it does not outweigh the broader systemic risks posed by democratic erosion.

The interview reinforced the ADC’s message that Nigeria’s democracy depends not on political dominance, but on active citizen engagement, institutional integrity, and a vibrant opposition capable of holding power to account.

As the country moves steadily toward the 2027 elections, the ADC says it remains focused on mobilizing Nigerians around ideas, values, and democratic renewal rather than political inevitability.