BY AHMED AKANBI
Former African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain, Salihu Lukman, has warned that the opposition risks another defeat in 2027 if leaders continue to prioritise personal ambitions over building a united platform to challenge the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking on a national television programme monitored in Abuja at the weekend, Lukman said the lack of unity among opposition leaders was the biggest threat to any effort to unseat the ruling party.
He revealed that he suspended his membership of the ADC, out of frustration over the failure of opposition leaders to unite ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Lukman said while the recent Court of Appeal judgment clearing the ADC and other parties to participate in 2027 was a relief, it did not address the fundamental problem confronting the opposition.
“As a Nigerian, I’m not excited by all this development. When we started advocating for a coalition about two years ago, the objective was basically two: to get opposition leaders united, and to build a party that can hold elected leaders accountable,” he stated.
His comments come about two weeks after he announced the suspension of his membership of the ADC and the opposition coalition, citing internal challenges within the party.
In a message addressed to ADC National Chairman, Senator David Mark, and copied to coalition leaders, Lukman alleged that he faced sustained hostility and political marginalisation.
He accused some party leaders in Kaduna State, particularly former Governor Nasir El-Rufai and his associates, of being behind the hostility.
Lukman expressed concern that the opposition was returning to the same approach adopted in 2023 and expecting a different outcome in 2027.
He urged opposition leaders to put national interest above personal ambition and build a credible, united alternative capable of defeating the APC at the polls.