Politics
2027 Election: List of Prominent Former APC, PDP, LP Members Who Have Joined ADC Coalition
A major alliance has been formed against the ruling APC ahead of the 2027 general elections in Nigeria
Prominent chieftains of the APC, PDP, and Labour Party (LP) dumped their parties for the newly-adopted African Democratic Congress (ADC)
The opposition coalition movement led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar recently adopted the ADC as the platform to unseat President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
While the coalition is still solidifying its structure, influential figures who have confirmed their involvement in the movement include:
Atiku Abubakar
A former Vice President and PDP’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections is a central figure in the coalition, signalling another possible shot at the presidency for the fourth time.
David Mark
David Mark, a former Senate President, has become the interim National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) after following his resignation from his membership in the PDP. As a Senator, David Mark represented Benue South senatorial district from 1999 to 2019 and served as the 12th President of the Nigerian Senate from 2007 to 2015.
Before his senatorial career, Mark was the military Governor of Niger State from 1984 to 1986 and also served as a Minister of Communication. He is recognised as the longest-serving President of the Nigerian Senate.
Prince Uche Secondus
A former National Chairman of the PDP is also reportedly involved in this strategic alliance for 2027. Secondus was acting chairman of the committee from 2015 to 2016. He became the chairman and a member of the PDP National Working Committee in 2017 and managed the party affairs until 2021, when he was suspended by the party.
Secondus was the second chairman of the Rivers State Peoples Democratic Party, a position he held for two terms.
Aminu Tambuwal
A former Governor of Sokoto State and currently a senator under the platform of the PDP. Tambuwal served as the 12th Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nigeria from 2011 to 2015 and as the governor of Sokoto State from 2015 to 2023.
Tambuwal represented the Tambuwal/Kebbe Federal Constituency of Sokoto State as an honourable member in the House of Representatives from 2003 to 2015, and is currently a serving Senator for Sokoto South since 2023.
Liyel Imoke
As a former Governor of Cross River State, Imoke served from 29 May 2007 till 29 May 2015. He was also a cabinet minister and leader of Parliament in the former Eastern Region.
In 1992, Liyel Imoke was elected as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria at the age of 30 during the transition government of Ibrahim Babangida. His term ended in November 1993 when the military regime led by General Sani Abacha dissolved the government.
Babangida Aliyu
Aliyu is a two-term former Governor of Niger State — elected in 2007 and was reelected in 2011. In the March 2015 presidential and senatorial elections, Aliyu failed in his senate race against David Umaru of the APC, who obtained 149,443 votes against his 46,459 votes.
Sule Lamido
Lamido, a former governor of Jigawa State, was part of the PDP stakeholders, led by Atiku, who attended a coalition meeting on Tuesday. He expressed his willingness to support any democratic efforts by patriotic Nigerians aimed at removing Tinubu, but affirmed his commitment to remain in the PDP.
Sam Egwu
As a former Governor of Ebonyi State, Egwu’s tenure lasted from 1999 to 2007. From 2008 to 2010, he served as the Minister of Education and in 2015, he successfully ran for the senatorial seat representing the Ebonyi North Senatorial Zone, on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Currently, he is the chairman of the Senate Committee on Industry.
Emeka Ihedioha
He served as governor of Imo State from 2019 until 14 January 2020, when he was removed from office by the Supreme Court of Nigeria, which declared the APC candidate, Hope Uzodinma, the authentic winner of the 2019 gubernatorial election. Ihedioha also served as the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives of Nigeria from 2011 to 2015.
The former deputy speaker was spotted at the unveiling of the ADC coalition in Abuja on Wednesday.
Senator Gabriel Suswam
A former Governor of Benue State, he served from 2007 to 2015. Prior to that, he was a member of the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2007. He also represented the Benue North-East Senatorial District in the 9th Senate. In 2025, Suswam lost the senatorial seat election to the APC candidate.
The former governor and ex-lawmaker was spotted at the unveiling of the ADC coalition in Abuja on Wednesday.
Dino Melaye
Melaye is a former senator and member of the House of Representatives, and also a member of the People’s Democratic Party. In 2015, he defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) but returned to the PDP in the build-up to the 2019 elections after months of political struggle with Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello. He was one of the campaign spokespersons of the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar and lost the governorship election in 2023.
Dele Momodu
A prominent PDP chieftain and veteran journalist who has openly criticised the current administration and predicted shifts within the ruling party.
He has declared full support for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition, warning President Tinubu against endangering Nigeria’s democracy in pursuit of a second term.
Rauf Aregbesola
The former Governor of Osun State from 2010 to 2018 and the immediate past Minister of Interior, who served from 2019 to 2023. He has been appointed the interim National Secretary of the ADC, marking a high-profile defection from the ruling APC. He was a political son and close ally of President Tinubu. He served as the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure in Tinubu’s government in Lagos State.
Nasir El-Rufai
The immediate past Governor of Kaduna State served from 2015 to 2023 and joined the coalition after facing recent political challenges within the APC, which he left for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) earlier this year. He had served as minister of the Federal Capital Territory from 2003 to 2007 and was also a director of the Bureau of Public Enterprises.
Rotimi Amaechi
As a former Governor of Rivers State from 2007 to 2015 and immediate past Minister of Transportation who worked under former President Muhammadu Buhari, Amaechi is also aligning with the new opposition coalition and of the leading figures in the movement.
He was Special Assistant to the Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili and served as Rivers State’s Secretary of the Democratic Party of Nigeria (DPN) caretaker committee during the transition programme of Sani Abacha. Ameachi was a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly from 1999 to 2007. He was the Chairman of Nigeria’s Conference of Speakers of State Assemblies.
John Oyegun
Oyegun was the first national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He served as the executive governor of Edo State between 1992 and 1993. Oyegun led the APC to victory in 2015, defeating the then-ruling PDP and President Goodluck Jonathan. This marked the first time an incumbent president and a ruling party were defeated in a presidential election in Nigeria.
He was spotted at the unveiling of the ADC coalition in Abuja on Wednesday.
Abubakar Malami
Malami is the immediate past Attorney-General of the Federation, who worked under Buhari from 2015 to 2023. He was actively involved in the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2013, serving as the resource person for the Manifesto Drafting Sub-Committee of the Inter-Joint Party Merger Committees. This collaboration included his former party, Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).
In 2014, Abubakar contested for the governorship ticket of the APC in Kebbi State but later stepped down during the party primaries in favour of Atiku Bagudu.
He resigned from the APC on Wednesday, before being spotted during the unveiling of the ADC as a coalition to unseat Tinubu.
Solomon Dalung
Dalung served as the Minister of Youth and Sports of Nigeria from November 2015 to 2019.
The former minister was spotted at the unveiling of the ADC coalition in Abuja on Wednesday.
Peter Obi
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections is a key member of the coalition and was reported to have proposed a single four-year term to the movement, if considered to be its presidential standard bearer for the 2027 elections. The two-term former governor of Anambra State was Atiku’s running mate in the 2019 general elections.
Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed
Baba-Ahmed, a former senator representing the Kaduna North Senatorial District in 2011. He also represented Zaria in the House of Representatives from 2003 to 2007. A member of the Labour Party, Baba-Ahmed was the vice-presidential candidate in the 2023 Nigerian presidential election, alongside Peter Obi.
Senator Ireti Kingibe
Kingibe was elected a member of the Senate representing the FCT in the 2023 Nigerian Senate elections under the Labour Party. The lawmaker was spotted during the unveiling of the ADC as a coalition to unseat Tinubu.
Victor Umeh
Umeh was the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and now Senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial District in the 10th Nigeria National Assembly on the platform of the Labour Party.
The lawmaker was also spotted during the unveiling of the ADC as a coalition to unseat Tinubu.
Tension gripped proceedings at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday as video recordings of police interviews with defendants accused of plotting to overthrow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration were played in open court.
The recordings, tendered by the prosecution, featured statements from three of the six defendants standing trial over the alleged conspiracy.
Counsel to the defendants objected to the admissibility and public viewing of the recordings, arguing that the statements were not voluntarily made and had not yet been formally admitted as evidence.
However, the trial judge, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, overruled the objections and ordered that the recordings be played, while noting that a trial-within-trial would later determine the voluntariness of the statements.
In the footage, two of the accused persons, Erasmus Victor, a retired naval captain, and Ahmed Ibrahim, a police inspector attached to the State House, acknowledged awareness of discussions relating to the alleged plan, while a third defendant, retired Major-General Mohammed Gana, denied any knowledge of a coup attempt.
Gana insisted he had lived a quiet life since retiring from the Nigerian Army in 2010, saying: “If I knew about any coup plan, I would have reported it,”
He admitted knowing the alleged mastermind but maintained that his involvement was limited to forwarding messages and materials he did not originate.
Gana also acknowledged that his name surfaced during investigations in connection with a N2 million transfer but denied any operational role, including claims of surveillance at the Presidential Villa.
Victor, on his part, admitted awareness of conversations suggesting a plan to topple the government but said he discouraged the idea. He told investigators: “Out of anger, he said he wants to overthrow the system. I told him to forget about it and consider retirement,”
He also admitted being approached for financial support and logistical assistance but claimed he refused to participate, though he continued communicating with the suspect using encrypted messaging platforms.
“I feel so bad that I find myself in this situation,” Victor said, appealing for leniency. Inspector admits reconnaissance and payments.
Police Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim admitted receiving between N1.4 million and N1.5 million and conducting reconnaissance around the Presidential Villa, including Aguda House.
He told investigators that coded language such as “fertiliser” and “farming” was used to disguise discussions about funding and operational planning.
However, he claimed he did not take the alleged plan seriously, stating: “I played along because I knew it would be impossible for them to access the State House,”
Trial continues amid national security concerns The prosecution told the court that the interviews were conducted in line with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, with defendants informed that the sessions were being recorded and that they had the right to remain silent.
The case, involving six defendants charged over an alleged plot to overthrow the government, was adjourned until Tuesday for continuation of hearing. The Federal Government is prosecuting the suspects in suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/206/2026, with other defendants including Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani.
About 17 African Democratic Congress, ADC, lawmakers in the House of Representatives have defected to the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC.
This was disclosed by Speaker Abass Tajudeen on the floor of the House on Tuesday.
Tajudeen also announced the defection of Leke Abejide from the ADC to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Lawmakers who defected to the NDC include Yusuf Datti, Uchenna Okonkwo, Adamu Wakili, Thaddeus Attah, George Ozodinobi, Lilian Orogbu, Oluwaseyi Sowunmi, Peter Aniekwe, Mukhtar Zakari, George Oluwande and Munachim Umezuruike.
Others are Emeka Idu, Jesse Onuakalusi, Ifeanyi Uzokwe, Afam Ogene and Abdulhakeem Ado.
This comes barely a day after former presidential candidates Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso defected from the ADC to the NDC.
Obi and Kwankwaso have pledged to continue their pursuit for a better Nigeria in the NDC.
A State High Court sitting in Yola has nullified the Local Government and State Congresses conducted by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Adamawa State, declaring the exercise invalid over breaches of due process.
The ruling followed a suit filed by the Adamawa State Chairman of the party, Comrade Shehu Yohanna, who challenged the congresses for failing to comply with established legal and party procedures.
Delivering judgment, Justice Isa Ahmed held that the congresses violated Section 84(4) of the Electoral Act as well as Article 18 of the ADC constitution.
He ruled that the defendants failed to follow laid-down guidelines and instead relied on what he described as a self-imposed procedure.
The court identified several irregularities in the conduct of the congresses, including lack of proper notice of the time for the elections and the use of an inappropriate venue.
Justice Ahmed said such lapses undermined the credibility and legality of the exercise.
In a consequential order, the court nullified all congresses conducted during the pendency of an earlier interim order.
The judge emphasised that actions taken in defiance of valid court orders cannot stand under the law.
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