2027: ADC stakeholders call for Southern presidential ticket

2026-03-18 - 17:24

By Luminous Jannamike, Abuja Stakeholders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) have urged the party to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to Southern Nigeria, in a move aimed at building a winning national coalition ahead of next year’s general elections. The call emerged from a strategy conference in Abuja, jointly convened by the Coalition for the Protection of Democracy (COPDEM) and ADC stakeholders, under the theme: “From Opposition to Government: Building the Winning Coalition for Nigeria 2027.” Prince Pam Rwang Jr, COPDEM’s National Chairman, addressed participants, stressing that while the recommendation is not yet an official party decision, it is likely to influence early alignments within ADC. The conference communiqué highlighted Nigeria’s current challenges, including economic pressures, insecurity, and waning public trust in leadership. It argued that a Southern ticket would help assemble a broad, credible, and nationally accepted governing coalition. “A successful presidential campaign must mobilise support across regions and reignite the political energy of key voting blocs, particularly in the Middle Belt and the South,” the statement read. Participants also stressed the need for the party’s message to resonate with shared values of fairness, unity, inclusion, and justice across Nigeria, noting that electoral success historically depends on respecting informal regional power rotations. The conference concluded by calling on ADC to strengthen its structures, improve internal democracy, and ensure leadership reflects the country’s diversity, while urging unity among democratic forces to present Nigerians with a credible alternative in 2027.