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‘Atiku Has Refused To Join, Peter Obi Also Has Refused To Join’ – ADC Worries

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The African Democratic Congress (ADC), with the 2027 general elections drawing closer, is grappling with internal uncertainty as the anticipated membership of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar and ex-Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, remains stalled.

Sunday Punch gathered from credible sources within the coalition that the delay by both men and other political heavyweights in formally joining the party has left its future direction unclear.

According to insiders, the ADC’s struggle is further compounded by the Independent National Electoral Commission’s delay in recognising Senator David Mark’s leadership of the party, as well as ongoing legal disputes and financial constraints.

One source stated that the refusal of Atiku, Obi, and other prominent leaders to fully join is slowing down the momentum, adding that the unresolved leadership issues and financial pressure have left the party struggling to gain traction.

However, the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, dismissed suggestions of uncertainty.

On March 20, opposition figures launched a coalition in Abuja, announcing the ADC as their adopted platform to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election.

Weeks later, on July 1, Atiku, Obi, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, ex-Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, and others publicly pledged support for the coalition at a high-level meeting in Abuja.

Under the arrangement, Senator David Mark was named interim National Chairman, while former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola was appointed as National Secretary.

Despite the declarations, sources confirmed that formal membership has remained thin.

Atiku, who dumped the Peoples Democratic Party over a month ago, has yet to register with the ADC or join another platform. Similarly, Obi has withheld membership, even as the Labour Party continues to struggle with internal crises.

A party source who spoke with Punch stated, “So, members of the party, especially the NWC members, are seriously worried and concerned that Atiku, Obi, and quite a lot of Nigerians, especially politicians they expected would have joined the ADC, are yet to join. This is affecting the momentum the party is supposed to gather.

“Since he left the PDP, Atiku has been partyless, and he has also refused to join the ADC. Peter Obi has also refused to join. As this continues, a lot of Nigerians are not even encouraged to also join the party, so to speak.

“Right now, within the coalition, everybody is still trying to study and understand, then come to an understanding of whether the whole thing is going to work or not. But one thing is certain: all of us want to push the current government led by APC out of power. But is this arrangement going to work? There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding it.

“If these people had joined the party, perhaps by now more Nigerians would have trooped into the party and the momentum would already have started building ahead of the 2027 elections. For now, everything is just quiet within the party, even though David Mark’s leadership is struggling to ensure that the party takes shape. But there are a lot of challenges, especially with regards to these key figures not joining.

“It is really affecting the party because if they join, more resources will come, more members will come, and we will be able to play our real role as opposition leaders holding the government accountable and selling the party to Nigerians. But for now, that is what it is.”

Another coalition leader disclosed that the absence of INEC’s recognition of Mark’s leadership, along with a few pending litigations, had hindered the party’s growth.

The source stated, “The ADC still remains a formidable party to challenge President Tinubu in 2027. It is our party; it is the coalition party adopted by many Nigerians. The challenges we have now are just that INEC has not fully recognised the leadership of David Mark, and that is stalling some of our processes. We know that the government of the day is sponsoring some people to go to court to challenge us, and that is also an issue, but we know we will overcome all these things.

“For Atiku and Obi, yes, their membership is important. Both of them and some others are yet to join the ADC as a coalition party, but we expect them to do so as soon as possible, and their late membership is of concern too. This is affecting the party in a way because those who ordinarily would have joined the ADC because of these leaders are also yet to do so.

“Of course resources, the calibre of people you have will determine the resources that will be available to the party for it to carry out its activities and, of course, maintain its structures across Nigeria. All these things are a factors. But of course, the party is waxing stronger by the day, and with time, we hope that it will get better. Nigerians are already trooping into the party as their only alternative to the failed All Progressives Congress.”

When contacted, Atiku’s media aide, Paul Ibe, said the former Vice President remained committed to the coalition.

Ibe told Punch that Atiku had begun the process of becoming a member of the ADC.

He stated, “Atiku is not contemplating leaving the coalition. It is propaganda for anyone to say so. The party is being organised across the country. The party is being planted in different parts of the country, and registration is ongoing.

“About His Excellency’s membership, he will do that at the right time. It’s a process that is in place. Registration is one of the steps. It’s a process, and it is ongoing.

“He remains committed to the coalition arrangement. Nigerians are behind the coalition, and all the leaders will work together to rescue Nigeria.”

Speaking with Sunday Punch, the ADC National Publicity Secretary affirmed that Atiku, Obi, and other key figures were with the party, stressing that the coalition remained on track.

Abdullahi stated, “We are not disturbed over Atiku and Obi’s delayed membership. Nothing has changed; both of them are very much with the coalition. We don’t have any concerns. Anyone that’s telling you we are disturbed is a liar; we are not disturbed at all.

“Have you heard otherwise from them? You should ask them too. Ask them if they are not with us. You know they are fully with us.

“Everything is on track. There is always time for everything. It’s not everything you do in a party that is in the public domain. The organ of the party that should be visible is the organ of the party that is visible at the moment.

“We have the February FCT election to prepare for. We are setting up our structures across the country. I just came back from Kwara. If you look across the country, people are busy. We are trying to build up the party in the states.”

On INEC and funding, the spokesman explained that the party had completed its documentation with the electoral body and was managing its activities with the resources at its disposal.

He stated, “We have completed all documentation with INEC. Everything that we need to do now, we are able to do. We don’t have any financial problems. Everything we need to do, we are able to do. Don’t forget we are not a ruling party, so we don’t have access to the government. But we are doing fine financially and otherwise.”

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Over 6.2 million Nigerians complete online voter pre-registration – INEC

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More than 6.2 million Nigerians completed their online pre-registration for the Continuous Voter Registration during week six of the exercise, according to data released by the Independent National Electoral Commission on Monday.

The figures, published on INEC’s official X handle and website, showed that a total of 6,232,673 pre-registrants were recorded between September 22 and 28, 2025.

Of this number, 3,250,338 were female, representing 52.15 percent, while 2,982,335 were male, accounting for 47.85 percent . Youths aged 18 to 34 continued to dominate the process, with 4,230,715 registering within the period. Students made up a significant portion with 1,565,824 entries, while persons with disabilities totaled 137,865.

INEC also reported that 1,004,132 Nigerians completed both online and physical registrations in Week five, covering the period from September 22 to 26, 2025.

This figure includes 537,743 who finalized their registration online and 466,389 who completed the process physically.

Demographic data for the completed registrations in week five showed that 555,077 were female (55.28 percent) and 449,055 were male (44.72 percent). Youths made up 742,379 of the total, while students were 354,406. The number of registered PWDs during the week stood at 13,987.

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Osun PDP, APC clash as FG releases LG allocations

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The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, on Sunday, confirmed that the Federal Government had released the withheld six-month allocations for the state’s local government areas.

The APC, however, denied that the funds were paid into the private accounts of council chairmen elected on the platform of the APC in October 2022.

It said the funds were paid “into the local government councils’ accounts.”

However, the ruling PDP, which said it was not aware of the payment, demanded that the APC disclose the details of the accounts the funds were paid into.

The PDP wondered how the Federal Government would release the funds into bank accounts unknown to the state’s accountant general, auditor-general for local governments and the ministry of local governments.

The clash between the two parties comes after the National Union of Local Government Employees accused the Federal Government of illegally releasing the withheld six-month allocation to the APC.

Speaking on behalf of the union on Sunday, NULGE Chairman, Dr Nathaniel Ogungbangbe,  said the union had confirmed that the Federal Government paid the March–August 2025 allocations into accounts illegally opened by the APC chairmen and councillors despite pending court cases.

He specifically accused the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun; the Accountant-General of the Federation, Babatunde Ogunjimi; and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), of abusing their offices by facilitating the release.

“Today, we have it on good authority that these three principal officers of the Federal Government have released the Osun State Local Government Councils’ allocations for the month of March 2025 to August 2025 to the illegal bank accounts opened by court-sacked APC chairmen and councillors,” Ogungbangbe said.

“We find this development very scary and alarming.

Paying Local Government allocations into privately opened and illegal bank accounts of politicians is unbelievable, bizarre and unprecedented in the history of public administration in Nigeria.”

Ogungbangbe recalled that a Federal High Court had on May 15, 2025, ordered parties to maintain the status quo, an order he said was acknowledged by the Central Bank of Nigeria, which initially withheld payment.

“The Attorney-General cannot assume the role of the Supreme Court by setting aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which affirmed the sacking of the APC politicians by the Federal High Court. The Attorney-General is not above the law,” he declared.

He also accused the APC of trying to destabilise the state.

“Their ultimate goal is to cause anarchy and use it to call on the President to declare a State of Emergency in the state so that they could loot our resources,” he alleged, adding that council workers would not return to duty posts until the issue was resolved.

But the Osun APC dismissed the allegations, describing them as lies designed to favour the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.

In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Kola Olabisi, the APC said: “It is not true that the said federal allocations are paid into the account of any of our local government council chairmen or any of the APC members or chieftain but into the local government councils’ accounts.”

Olabisi further argued that NULGE had no authority to interpret court rulings.

“We want to, as a party which believes in the rule of law, make it abundantly clear that it is not the duty of the NULGE to interpret any court judgment. The Court of Appeal judgement of the 10th of February, 2025, which reinstated the APC local government council chairmen and their councillors, is still in force as there is no record anywhere that it was appealed against.”

He accused the NULGE leadership of pursuing selfish interests and acting as an appendage of Governor Ademola Adeleke.

“The NULGE needs not weave up a series of lies in respect of the payment of the federal allocations… The sing-song of the NULGE before now was that some agencies of the Federal Government were withholding the accumulated federal allocations. Now that the logjam has been laid to rest, what would be their next excuse?” he asked.

The party also urged security agencies to remain on alert.

“We plead with the NULGE to shun brigandage, as Osun, being a subset of the country, is being governed by the rule of law,” the statement read.

Reacting to the revelation and the admission by the APC, Osun PDP called on the APC to disclose the accounts into which the allocations were paid and the signatories of the accounts.

In a statement on Sunday by its Chairman,  Sunday Bisi, the PDP described the release of funds to the APC as a crime against the people of Osun State.

The PDP said rather than attacking NULGE, the APC should “come clean before the people of Osun State by publicly disclosing the exact bank accounts into which the local government allocations were paid and the signatories to those accounts. The APC should also disclose the amount in each of the accounts.”

The PDP said, “We demand these details because all the statutory officers of all the 30 local governments who should be aware of the payment are not aware of it. These officers manage all the accounts of the local governments. They have not seen a dime in any of their local government accounts. Also, none of the state accountant general, the auditor-general for local governments and the ministry of local governments is aware of the payments or where they were paid into.

“The Osun PDP wishes to remind the APC that hurling insults at labour unions cannot change the reality that the people of Osun are demanding answers. The questions are simple: into which accounts were the allocations paid, and who are the signatories?”

The PDP said the APC must urgently provide answers, “or we will conclude that the APC and its leaders have staged the greatest heist in the history of Nigeria by diverting over six months of allocations of all local governments in Osun State.”

“The PDP assures the people of Osun State that under Governor Ademola Adeleke, transparency and accountability will continue to be the guiding principles in the management of public funds. No amount of intimidation or blackmail by the APC will derail this resolve,” Bisi added.

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Adamawa ADC gives Atiku ultimatum to pick membership card

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The African Democratic Congress has issued an ultimatum to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, and other prominent figures in the party to register at their respective wards before the end of the year or risk losing recognition as members.

Speaking exclusively to The PUNCH in Yola, the Adamawa State Chairman of the ADC, Shehu Yohanna, said the party had unveiled its membership register, stressing that only those with valid membership cards would be acknowledged.

“Atiku Abubakar should go to his ward in Jada Local Government and register, Babachir should go to his ward in Hong Local Government and register. That is the only way they can be treated as legitimate members of the party,” Yohanna said.

“You cannot be taking decisions for a party you are not constitutionally a member of. All of you should register for the greatness of our party.

“It is illegal for someone to hold a leadership position in the party at the national level without being a registered member. That makes a caricature of the party,” he declared.

Last Thursday, the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, reaffirmed the caucus’ resolution that all coalition members resign from their current parties and register fully with the ADC—a directive dismissed as inconsequential by both the APC and PDP.

Atiku’s much-publicised membership registration, initially scheduled for August in his hometown of Jada, was suspended indefinitely last month without explanation.

The PUNCH gathered that the former Vice President is weighing his chances of clinching the ADC’s presidential ticket, particularly in light of the growing influence of Peter Obi’s political movement within the party.

Yohanna dismissed the ruling All Progressives Congress and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party as incapable of defeating the ADC in the 2027 general elections.

He added that the ADC boasts politically influential figures and is prepared to wrest power from the APC administration.

“The unfriendly policies of the present government have paved the way for our party to take over and reposition the country for authentic democracy,” he said.

On the reported crisis in the party’s Adamawa chapter, Yohanna maintained that he remained the legitimate chairman.

“My tenure expires in 2026 based on the constitution of the party, so nobody can remove me from office. The ADC is not the estate of anyone; it is a political party registered by former President Olusegun Obasanjo,” he said.

He further claimed that the credentials of ADC governorship aspirants are among the best in Adamawa and indeed across Nigeria.

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