A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, Kenneth Okonkwo, has expressed confidence that a growing opposition coalition will bring an end to the political dominance of the ruling All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking during an appearance on Morning Brief on Channels Television, Okonkwo stated that the process of building a united front against the APC has already begun.
“We are still coalescing. You can see that the journey towards removing APC has just begun.
“Nine senators, an innumerable number of members of [House of] Representatives [have joined ADC]. You can see how Akpabio is double-speaking in everything that he is doing,” Okonkwo said, referring to Godswill Akpabio.
During the programme, Okonkwo also criticised the February 21 area council elections conducted in the Federal Capital Territory, where the APC reportedly secured five out of the six chairmanship positions.
He described the polls as deeply flawed and dismissed them as illegitimate.
“Do not judge us by those elections. FCT election was a sham; there was no election. In an election that you restricted people from moving to go and vote, an election that was conducted under an unknown law.
“Wike was restricting the opposition from moving, and they were moving as they liked from polling unit to polling unit, interfering in the election.
“Wike was not an elected person in FCT. He was not an INEC official. He had no business in the polling unit. That FCT municipal election was a sham,” he said, accusing Nyesom Wike of interfering in the process.
Despite not holding power at the federal level, Okonkwo insisted that the ADC has emerged as the most credible opposition platform in the country.
“The truth is that ADC, the African Democratic Congress, is today the leading opposition party,” he said.
The lawyer explained that he had earlier advised opposition figures in parties such as the Peoples Democratic Party and the Labour Party Nigeria to unite under a common platform if they hope to effectively challenge the APC.
“I said this a long time ago that PDP, LP, and other parties are not viable. The opposition leaders and parties should do themselves a good to form a coalition,” he stated.
According to Okonkwo, the opposition groups eventually agreed to adopt the ADC as the political platform to pursue what he described as a renewed national aspiration.
“When they coalesced, they were able to deal with the APC that has constituted itself as an enemy of democracy and certainly an enemy of the welfare of the people,” he added.
He further claimed that more politicians are expected to join the party as the country moves closer to the next general elections.
“You will see more politicians joining us soon, and APC will soon be history by the grace of God,” Okonkwo said.
The All Progressives Congress first came to power in 2015 after campaigning on promises to combat corruption, revive the struggling economy, and address widespread insecurity across the country.
However, more than a decade after assuming power, opposition voices continue to argue that the situation has deteriorated, with many Nigerians expressing concern over the rising cost of living and persistent security challenges in several parts of the country.
What you should know
Kenneth Okonkwo is a lawyer and former Nollywood actor who has become increasingly active in Nigerian politics.
He previously served as a spokesperson during the 2023 presidential campaign of Peter Obi before aligning with the African Democratic Congress as part of a broader opposition coalition seeking to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2027 elections.
