It would be recalled that on March 20, Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai and others announced in Abuja their plan to form a united political front to unseat Tinubu in 2027
By Afolabi Ayodele
Former Senate President, David Mark, is set to emerge as Interim National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the newly adopted platform for a coalition formed to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.
The coalition, led by prominent politicians including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, ex-Governors Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna, and Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers, has reportedly agreed to adopt the ADC after failed efforts to register a new political party.
According to three sources who spoke to The Punch, Mark has already accepted the leadership role.
It would be recalled that on March 20, Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai and others announced in Abuja their plan to form a united political front to unseat Tinubu in 2027.
One of the sources confirmed that the coalition leaders will meet in Abuja on Wednesday to conclude pending decisions.
He said, “What I can tell you is that we have all agreed on the ADC as the national coalition platform. So, ADC is our party, and that has been settled.
“Another significant development is that we have all agreed that former President of the Senate, David Mark, should serve as the Interim National Chairman.
“We had planned to unveil the party already, but Labour Party’s Peter Obi said he wanted to consult with his supporters, including a governor and some lawmakers. Hopefully, we will make the official announcement this week. And we will all leave our political platforms for the ADC.”
Another insider revealed that integration of loyalists into the ADC is already ongoing.
He stated, “We adopted the ADC because time is no longer on our side, and INEC appears unwilling to register some of the political parties we previously proposed.
“The agreement is that we will all leave our various parties and move to the platform we’ve agreed upon—ADC. Once it is unveiled, you will see each of us formally dumping our former platforms for the coalition party.
“We have an important meeting scheduled for next Wednesday to finalise other key issues, including the position of National Secretary. David Mark has already agreed to serve as the National Chairman.
“Our people have already joined the ADC. The current National Chairman of the ADC, along with some members of the party’s National Working Committee, will voluntarily step down to make room for the coalition leaders and ensure equitable distribution of party offices.”
Reacting to the development, ADC National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, described David Mark as a disciplined and capable leader.
In an interview with Sunday PUNCH, Nwosu said he was ready to vacate his position for Mark and confirmed that a major announcement would be made once final negotiations are concluded.
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