…As Babachir, Okonkwo lead charge ahead of 2027
The African Democratic Congress, (ADC), has launched a blistering attack on the Bola Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing the ruling party of weaponising hunger, intimidating opposition figures, and turning itself into a haven for politicians fleeing corruption charges.
In a statement issued yesterday, the ADC said the Federal Government has been “manipulating food prices and exploiting hunger for political control”. The party faulted the administration’s claims of improved local production and lower food costs, describing them as “deceptive propaganda” aimed at masking the hardship gripping millions of Nigerians.
“The government’s import policies, insecurity, and neglect of small-holder farmers have deepened poverty and crippled local agriculture”, the ADC said, calling for urgent reforms to revive the rural economy and ensure genuine food security.
Adding to the criticism, Nollywood actor and ADC chieftain, Kenneth Okonkwo, accused the ruling party of deploying state power and intimidation tactics to suppress opposition activity ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking during an interview on television, Okonkwo alleged that ADC meetings in Kaduna, Lagos, and Ekiti States were disrupted by thugs “acting under the supervision of security agencies”.
According to him, “ADC is on fire! The APC is using every method to scatter the plans of the opposition”, warning that such anti-democratic behaviour threatens Nigeria’s fragile political stability. He also claimed that the ruling party is “imploding from within,” describing recent waves of endorsements as “an alliance of sycophants clinging to a sinking ship”.
In a related development, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, also lashed out at the APC, accusing it and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of shielding politicians defecting to the ruling party to evade prosecution.
Speaking at an ADC stakeholders’ meeting in Yola, Adamawa State, Lawal said: “The APC has become a refuge for questionable characters fleeing justice. They defect, and suddenly, their files disappear”.
He criticised the wave of defections by top political figures — including Governors Douye Diri of Bayelsa, Peter Mbah of Enugu, and Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta — describing it as a “tsunami of opportunism”.
Lawal, now the ADC’s National Vice-Chairman, insisted that both the APC and PDP have failed Nigerians and would be “decisively rejected” in 2027. This delusion of writing election results before elections will end,” he said. “Nigerians are ready to frustrate any criminal manipulation in 2027”, he stated.
He further cautioned that the ADC would not accept defectors who carry “the corrupt and undemocratic habits” of their former parties, insisting that the ADC represents “a movement of visionaries and patriots determined to redirect Nigeria from the cliff edge.”
With growing discontent over inflation, insecurity, and mass defections, the ADC appears to be positioning itself as a moral alternative – and a fierce new challenger – in the run-up to the 2027 general elections.
