BREAKING: Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai take over ADC as leadership resigns, gives way for opposition coalition

Ezurike Ugochukwu & Florence Kalu

In a significant development, the entire national executive leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has resigned, paving the way for a new leadership team to take over the party structure as part of a broader opposition coalition.

The outgoing ADC National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, made the disclosure at Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, described their mass resignation as one made in the national interest, paving the way for a new leadership team to take over the party.

At the coalition meeting today Wednesday were prominent opposition figures, as Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Nasir El-Rufai, and Rotimi Amaechi, Aminu Tambuwal gathered to mark the party’s transformation into a broad-based political platform.

All national executive members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) have resigned from their positions following the party’s adoption as the official platform for a new opposition coalition involving several political figures.

David Mark and Ralph Nwosu at transfer of leadership of ADC

Nwosu while confirming the leadership overhaul announced the appointment of former Senate President David Mark as the interim National Chairman of the party, while former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, was named interim National Secretary.

Speaking to newsmen, Nwosu described the decision as one made in the national interest.

The handover marks the ADC’s transformation into a broad-based political platform being co-opted by opposition leaders from various parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), and Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Present at the meeting were a constellation of political heavyweights such as former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung; Senator Dino Melaye; PDP chieftain and publisher Dele Momodu; former Benue State governor Gabriel Suswam; Labour Party Senator Ireti Kingibe; former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha; and former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar (retd.), Dino Melaye and many others.

Nation Update had earlier reported the position taken by a faction of the ADC stakeholders distancing themselves from what they described as hijack of thier party by the opposition coalition.

In a statement issued by Musa Isa Matara, the faction’s national publicity secretary, the group warned that the ADC is not a “private coalition platform” to be hijacked by political elites.

The faction expressed outrage over what it described as a unilateral decision made without input from critical stakeholders.

Matara said the decision to merge with the opposition coalition was made without consulting key party structures, including state executives, youth and women leaders, and ward coordinators.