ABUJA, Nigeria — The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has revealed it turned down substantial financial inducements aimed at forcing the party out of Nigeria’s emerging opposition coalition, reaffirming its commitment to defending the country’s democracy against growing authoritarian tendencies.
Ralph Nwosu, the party’s founder and pioneer National Chairman, made the revelation on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, at the ADC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in Abuja.
Addressing members of the National Working Committee (NWC) and the Board of Trustees (BoT), Nwosu accused political actors of seeking to create a “one-party, fascist state” in Nigeria.
“While some individuals or one party try to turn Nigeria into a one-party state, a fascist state, it was only the ADC that said no,” Nwosu declared.
“No matter how much money you spend, you can’t fight all Nigerians.”
He alleged that repeated offers had been made to party leaders both “in Nigeria and abroad” over the past year, but were rejected in favour of national interest.
“Some politicians, opportunistic as they are, believe it’s all about money,” he said.
“They say, ‘if you can’t get them with this amount, just add more.’ But in the ADC, we said no.”
Nwosu said the ADC has transformed from a minor political party into one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing political movements.
“We’ve gone from being a party that struggled to win five House of Representatives seats to a movement that now has over 100 elected persons—including 28 senators, 46 House of Representatives members, and over 50 State Assembly members,” he said.
He added that the party’s growing appeal, especially among young people, caused its website to crash three times due to surging online registrations.
“Every local government in this country has felt the ADC’s presence. We’re expanding because of competence, not coercion,” Nwosu said.
Interim National Chairman David Mark praised the ADC leadership for their trust and pledged a transformative agenda built on integrity, inclusion, and internal democracy.
“Under my leadership, ADC will operate with zero tolerance for anti-party conduct or indiscipline. We will guarantee collective leadership at all levels and restructure our grassroots operations to meet modern realities,” he said.
Mark emphasised that the party would provide equal opportunities regardless of gender, age, or region.
He announced that 35% of leadership roles would be reserved for women, and leadership inclusion for youths under 40 would be prioritised.
He also unveiled plans to form a 50-member Policy Committee to develop a comprehensive platform focused on healthcare, education, security, technology, and infrastructure.
“Nigerians must know us as a party driven by unblemished ideology, progressive policies, and patriotic governance,” Mark added.
“We will not leave it to the discretion of individual candidates to choose what to do with power.”
The ADC has emerged as a key pillar in the new opposition coalition announced on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, which includes major figures like Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, and Nasir El-Rufai.
Despite high-profile membership, no sitting governor has yet joined the alliance, a situation party leaders attribute to political intimidation and fear of reprisal.
Yet, ADC insiders insist the tide is turning.
“What we did on July 1st was one of the toughest political decisions we’ve ever made,” Nwosu said.
“But it was the right one. Nigeria’s democracy is back on track—and the ADC is at the heart of that revival.”
