News
Yes, we did it! *Mark hails ADC members for delivering on democracy
“Many people doubted us. Some dismissed us. Others predicted confusion, division, and even outright collapse. But you stood firm. You kept faith with the ADC. And today, because of your commitment, our party stands taller, stronger, and more united.”
With these words, David Mark, National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Wednesday’s night showered praises on members for conducting what he considered a flawless presidential primary election to choose its candidate for the 2027 election.
Mark, Senate President from 2007 to 2015, his audience at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, that by the outcome, the party had demonstrated that democracy and political competition could still thrive in Nigeria without crisis or division.
Regardless of the rejection of the result of the exercise by Rotimi Amaechi, former Minister of Transportation and Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, former Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), who contested in the exercise, the former Chairman of the National Assembly, was still upbeat about its outcome.
Atiku Abubakar, Vice President between 1999 and 2007, had emerged winner of the process that took place across Nigeria from Monday till Wednesday, when the result was eventually announced.
The declared result showed that the former VP who would be running for the nation’s number one job for a record seven times came tops with Atiku 1,846,370, to Amaechi’s 504,117 and Hayat-Deen’s 177,120. Total votes cast in the election: 2,546,457 in the 3,113,599 tally.
Mark, who officially presented the ADC flag to Atiku as the party’s presidential standard-bearer, was emphatic that the exercise was not merely about producing a presidential candidate but about proving that internal democracy could still function effectively in the country.
Hear him: “Today is not just about announcing a presidential candidate. Today is also about proving a point to Nigeria and to Nigerians. It is about proving that democracy can still work.
“Proving that political competition does not have to become political warfare. That a party can organise itself around principles instead of personalities. This event has shown that in a season of deep national anxiety, a bright future is still possible.”
Stressing that had doubted the party’s ability to conduct a peaceful and credible primary, with some predicting division and collapse within the ADC, he praised members of the Presidential Screening Committee and Presidential Primary Election Committee for what he described as their professionalism and commitment to fairness despite pressure surrounding the exercise.
“In the face of enormous pressure, logistical complexity, and intense national attention, they carried out their responsibilities with courage, discipline, and an unwavering commitment to fairness and transparency. The conduct of the primary has strengthened confidence in the party and its democratic process.
“Their work has strengthened the credibility of this exercise and reinforced the confidence of our members and the Nigerian people in the integrity of the African Democratic Congress.
“It is important to mention that we are the only political party to have three strong aspirants contest for the presidential ticket. This alone makes the ADC unique in its deep commitment to democracy and democratic practices.
“By subjecting themselves to this process, they did not merely contest an election. They strengthened democracy. And despite efforts in some quarters to create uncertainty and tension, they remained committed to this process and to the ideals of this party,” he added.
Nothing outside the immediate resignation of his office will mitigate the havoc President Bola Tinubu, has caused Nigeria, Peter Obi, candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), in the 2027 presidential election, said on Monday.
Obi, former Governor of Anambra State and candidate of the Labour Party (LP), in the 2023 polls hours after Kier Starmer, British Prime Minister announced he would be quitting office, urged Tinubu to follow the footstep, having performed more woefully than his UK counterpart.
Writing in his official X platform, the former governor wrote, lamented that the President had failed to improve the standard of living of the citizens, arguing that leaders who failed to listen to the heartbeat and voices of their citizens, had lost the right to remain in position.
Hear him: “This morning, I listened to the British Prime Minister’s speech announcing his planned resignation in July. As a keen observer of global politics, my primary interest lies in examining what successful nations do right and the structural factors that cause others to lag or struggle with governance and development.
“The Prime Minister’s planned resignation comes amid mounting public frustration over a stagnant economy, a worsening cost-of-living crisis, and a perceived failure to honour key campaign pledges.
“Looking inward in our dear country, we can recall our own situation. Before 2015, our President on several occasions championed the call for the then President Goodluck Jonathan to resign over economic hardship and insecurity affecting Nigerians.
“During the Chibok school kidnapping incident, he demanded the immediate resignation of President Jonathan, arguing that the government had failed in its most fundamental duty of protecting lives.
“During the 2023 election campaign, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu made several promises, including improved electricity supply. He also challenged the electorate not to vote for him for a second term if he failed to deliver on those commitments—particularly in providing stable power, fighting corruption, and improving the welfare of Nigerians.
“At present, however, these conditions have worsened. Electricity supply remains unreliable, insecurity has intensified in many areas, including kidnappings, and economic hardship has deepened rather than eased. Similar concerns are reflected across other critical sectors such as security, infrastructure, transportation, and anti-corruption efforts, all of which have regressed. We are in the worst possible condition.
“I, therefore, join Nigerians of goodwill in calling for the resignation of the President over monumental failure in governance. Such a gesture would help enthrone a political culture rooted in accountability and responsibility, rather than further entrenching impunity. It would also send a powerful message that public office is a sacred trust, not an entitlement, and help build a society in which future leaders understand that failure carries consequences. Only by ending the culture of impunity can we secure a better future for the society our children will inherit in a New Nigeria that is possible.”
“Generally, it was a very bad day. At my polling booth, where I voted, there was massive rigging and the massive sale of votes, and it happened everywhere in the state,” were the exact words with which the African Democratic Congress (ADC), captured Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State and its outcome.
Dare Abejide, candidate of the party in the exercise, said hours after Biodun Oyebanji, the incumbent, who ran on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was declared winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Abejide, a guest on Sunday Politics, a public affairs programme on Channels Television told his host, on Sunday: “It merely shows that you don’t need to campaign anymore; all you need to do is keep your money for election day and buy votes. The government of the day has weaponised poverty, and that makes it so easy for them to buy votes. So, let’s get it clear.”
Faulting the process, Abejide added: “First, the election was a very bad one. Yesterday was a very bad day for democracy in the state. It was a day when democracy took flight from Ekiti State,” the two-time Secretary to the Government of Ekiti State said on the current affairs show.
“It was a day when the polling units, particularly my polling booth, became a political marketplace where votes were canvassed for, sold, and bought by politicians. It was a day the security agents abandoned their duties and took sides with the oppressor. It was a day when hungry people went and took money from the oppressors in exchange for their rights.
“Generally, it was a very bad day. At my polling booth, where I voted, there was massive rigging and the massive sale of votes, and it happened everywhere in the state. It merely shows that you don’t need to campaign anymore; all you need to do is keep your money for election day and buy votes. The government of the day has weaponised poverty, and that makes it so easy for them to buy votes. So, let’s get it clear.”
In the result released by INEC, Oyebanji, polled 319,224 votes to beat other contenders to beat Oluwole Oluyede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to a second place with 40,543 votes, while Abejide scored 12,872 votes after the figures emanating from the 16 local government areas of the state were tallied.
Abejide, who accused the ruling APC of inducing voters with money and intimidating the opposition, told his host: “It was like a battleground. I suspect it was something that was simply fed into the computers. The options are many for me. One of them is to consult with my party members. We are still collecting results from all the polling units. We will analyse the results and take appropriate action.”
Except Nigerians find a way to arrest the practice of outright buying of the votes of electorates, nothing else will change the parlous state of affairs in Nigeria, the Social Democratic Party (SDP), has warned.
Reacting against the backdrop of the outcome of last Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State, Peter Obafemi, who captured the party’s total disenchantment, lamented that a situation in which security operatives who were supposed to arrest offenders were now helping them to commit the crime, left Nigeria no hope in electing credible leaders to change the situation.
Accusing the electoral officials of complicity in the crime, Obafemi, a guest on Sunday Politics, a current affairs programme on Channels Television, told his host that he personally witnessed policemen aiding those buying the votes of the people.
Hear him: “I think it was full of intimidation. Well, I will put it like this: in my own polling unit, I went to cast my vote; coming out, I was shocked. I saw someone with bagloads of money. The culprit is a member of one of these major parties and is being protected by the police.
“I am not alleging. I saw it in my own polling unit. The police and the INEC were very compromised in the conduct of the election. INEC must look into ways that they can help Nigerians for this general election [2027] that is coming up: how they can abort this act of vote-buying.”
Also stressing on other electoral malfeasances, Obafemi, who scored 179 votes in the poll, also talked about general intimidation in the lead-up to the exercise, stating how some of his campaign banners were pulled down.
INEC early Sunday declared Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) the winner of the exercise, which was held in 16 local government areas of the South-West state.
He scored 319,224 votes to beat his opponents Oluwole Oluyede, or the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who got 40,543 votes, while Dare Bejide of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) polled 12,872 votes to come third.
-
News3 weeks agoBREAKING: Terrorists strike Ibadan again! Abduct ex-Minister’s sister, twin children
-
Columns4 weeks agoSee Tinubu’s terrible damage on Option A4 and its precious memories
-
News1 week agoBREAKING: Troops rescue wife of kidnapped General! *Terrorists flee scene
-
News3 weeks agoEmeka Ike: I’ll make example of Lere Olayinka for prying into my privacy
-
News4 weeks agoBREAKING: All clear for Jonathan! Ex-President eligible to run in 2027 – court
-
News1 week agoBREAKING: Count me out, Okonkwo tells Atiku *Amaechi VP’s choice an insult to Ndigbo
-
News4 weeks agoCooking gas inches N2,000 per kg price *We fear the worst – marketers
-
News4 weeks agoBREAKING: Like Hayatu-Deen, Amaechi rejects ADC primaries, as total fraud!