Abuja – The Coalition for Good Governance (CGG) has issued a blunt and uncompromising demand to the African Democratic Congress coalition: zone the 2027 presidential ticket to Southern Nigeria or risk derailing the very redemption millions of Nigerians are counting on.
Addressing the press in Abuja, the CGG, a coalition of former national party chairmen and ex-presidential candidates from all six geopolitical zones, said equity, national balance, and electoral realism make Southern zoning a strategic necessity, not a political favor.
“The nation is deeply polarized and economically distressed. The path to victory and national healing lies in fairness. Zoning the ticket to the South is both morally compelling and electorally strategic,” the group declared.
It warned that failure to decisively resolve the zoning question could trigger internal fractures and weaken the ADC’s credibility as a genuine alternative platform ahead of 2027.
Electoral Act: “A Civilian Coup Against Democracy”
The CGG also launched a scathing attack on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the signing of the amended Electoral Act, describing it as “a dangerous regression” that undermines public confidence in elections.
According to the coalition, rejecting mandatory real-time electronic transmission of results leaves room for manipulation, intimidation, and post-election chaos.
“Electronic transmission safeguards data integrity, reduces human interference, and restores trust. Any resistance to it is resistance to transparency,” the statement read.
The group labeled the new law “electoral banditry” and “a civilian equivalent of a coup,” accusing the National Assembly of enabling democratic erosion. It called on the international community to prevail on Nigerian authorities to reverse what it termed anti-democratic legislation.
Warning Against One-Party Domination
The coalition further warned of what it described as a creeping one-party state under the ruling All Progressives Congress, citing the wave of defections by opposition governors and lawmakers.
“A one-party state eliminates accountability, suppresses dissent, and erodes constitutional democracy. Nigeria must not descend into political absolutism,” CGG stated.
It cautioned that if the electoral framework remains fundamentally flawed, opposition stakeholders may be forced to reconsider participation in the 2027 general elections.
The statement was formally signed and endorsed by Sir (Engr.) Okey Chikwendu, National Chairman of the Coalition for Good Governance, and Attah Ikeleji Ikeleji, National Secretary of the Coalition for Good Governance, who reaffirmed the group’s commitment to defending democratic integrity, equity, and national unity.
