Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has urged delegates of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to prioritise competence, experience and national appeal over sentiment and social media popularity as the party positions itself for the 2027 presidential election.
The former vice president made the remarks on the heels of growing developments and internal disagreements within the party over its leadership and candidate selection process.
In a statement issued through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president argued that Nigeria’s current challenges require a tested and capable leader, warning that the opposition could not afford political experimentation ahead of the next election cycle.
According to him, social media influence alone should not be considered a sufficient measure of leadership capacity or electoral strength.
He maintained that with the country grappling with economic pressures, rising debt levels, insecurity and weakening institutions, the party must focus on presenting its strongest candidate if it hopes to mount a serious challenge against Bola Tinubu in 2027.
Meanwhile, internal divisions within the ADC appeared to deepen as a faction of the party announced the emergence of Dumebi Kachukwu as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
The same faction also used its non-elective special national convention to inaugurate a new National Working Committee and named Kingsley Ogar as Chairman of the Board of Trustees.
Further signs of discord emerged in Rivers State, where the party reportedly produced parallel governorship candidates, raising fresh questions over internal cohesion ahead of the election season.
