The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is pushing a new power-sharing plan as it tries to keep Nigeria’s opposition united ahead of the 2027 presidential race a contest already heating up with competing ambitions.
At the centre of the proposal is what the party calls a “collegiate system,” designed to move away from the traditional winner-takes-all approach.
Under the model, power would be shared among key players, even after a presidential candidate emerges.
Speaking on The Morning Show, party strategist Lukman Salihu said the idea is to prevent authority from being concentrated in one individual and instead encourage collective leadership.
“This is not about one person taking everything,” he said. “What we are building is a system where decisions are made jointly a team-driven government, not one run like an empire.”
The proposal comes at a time when the opposition space is increasingly crowded, with supporters of Peter Obi, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Atiku Abubakar and Rotimi Amaechi all jostling for influence within a potential coalition.
Salihu insisted the growing tension should not be mistaken for disunity.
According to him, internal contest is a natural part of politics and, if properly managed, can strengthen the process rather than weaken it.
The goal, he explained, is to ensure that whoever eventually emerges as the party’s flagbearer does so as part of a broader team, with other aspirants still fully invested in the project.
Beyond the power-sharing formula, the ADC says it has already laid out a governance blueprint, anchored on a manifesto adopted at its last convention.
The document, Salihu noted, focuses on what he described as “citizen-centred governance” addressing economic and social challenges facing Nigerians.
He acknowledged that legal disputes within the party have slowed the public rollout of the manifesto but expressed confidence that it would soon be unveiled.
Salihu also took a swipe at the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), arguing that it has strayed from its founding principles.
He said internal party structures have weakened, with elected officials now wielding more control than the parties themselves.
Restoring discipline within party systems, he added, is a key part of the ADC’s broader reform push.
On concerns that some aspirants might refuse to back a rival if they lose out, Salihu struck a conciliatory tone, suggesting that leading figures including Amaechi are unlikely to walk away from the process.
Participation in the coalition, he noted, remains voluntary, but the party is optimistic that, despite current frictions, the opposition will eventually rally behind a single candidate.
“We understand the situation as it is,” he said. “In the end, we believe Nigerians will decide.”
