Former Kogi West senator, Dino Melaye, has declared that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) will field a credible and formidable presidential candidate capable of unseating President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.
Melaye made the statement on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme, on Friday evening. He said the ADC was currently focused on stabilising its internal structure to serve as a strong alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Those of us in the ADC need to create a comfortable, stable platform. And I believe that platform will produce a candidate that will unseat President Ahmed Bola Tinubu in 2027,” he said.
According to him, the immediate priority is to ensure a well-organised convention and transparent process for producing the party’s presidential flagbearer.
“I will not be talking about a presidential candidate or aspirant or preference for anybody until we get the party completely stabilised and organise a transparent convention that will produce a presidential candidate of the ADC who, by the grace of God, will kick,” Melaye stated.
Melaye also described the ADC not just as a political organisation, but as a moral and national call to action.
“Why Nigerians should think differently about the ADC is that once there’s an altar call in the church of God — only those who are emotionally affected, have conscience, and are ready to leave darkness and move into light respond. So, ADC is a national altar call,” he said.
He admitted that while the party may not be made up entirely of saints, its members are united by a shared vision for Nigeria’s progress.
“Not everybody in ADC is a saint, but what I’m telling you is that everybody who moved into ADC is concerned about Nigeria. We want to see a Nigeria where we’ll be able to answer questions from our grandchildren… ‘What did you do when Nigeria was being destroyed?’” he said.
Melaye’s comments follow a major opposition coalition meeting held on July 2 at the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, where prominent political figures adopted the ADC as the rallying platform for the 2027 presidential elections.
At the meeting, ADC founder Ralph Nwosu presented membership cards to key political heavyweights, including former Senate President David Mark and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who were named interim national chairman and secretary of the coalition, respectively.
Other notable figures in attendance included Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar, Nasir El-Rufai, Rotimi Amaechi, Ireti Kingibe, Dele Momodu, Emeka Ihedioha, and Melaye himself.
