Convener of the ADC Coalition Movement in Cross River state, Mr. Austine Ibok.
By Anietie Akpan
The outcome of the just concluded Federal Capital Territory (FCT Abuja) Area Council election has been declared as a wake up call to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and opposition leaders in the country.
In a statement issued in Calabar on Tuesday, February 24, the Convener of the ADC Coalition Movement in Cross River state, Mr. Austine Ibok, said “it is a wake-up call to opposition leaders, when we fail to plan and strategize, we plan to fail, opposition leaders must seat up, because (All Progressives Congress (APC) and INEC intend to rig the 2027 election”.
He congratulated the ADC Coalition nationwide for the performance in the FCT as this is a stepping stone towards building a stronger and more credible alternative for Nigerians.
Ibok said, “the outcome of Saturday’s FCT Area Council election has sent a strong message across the political landscape, both to APC and opposition leaders. Historically, FCT Area Council elections have not attracted this level of attention, but the ADC’s participation changed that narrative”.
For the first time in a long while, he said, “the ruling party and the entire government machinery appeared fully mobilized, spearheaded by the master riggers, with sleepless nights, clearly acknowledging ADC as a growing force.
“While we celebrate the resilience and performance of the ADC, the events surrounding the election also highlighted areas of concern. Nevertheless, one thing is clear, the ADC has emerged as a credible and formidable alternative, and its growing influence is evident in the reactions and conversations across the country, especially among APC members and supporters”.
The ADC chieftain pointed out that “another important observation is the background of many candidates who participated in the election. A significant number appear to have aligned with the PDP as members before contesting under the APC banner. Similar patterns were observed in previous local government elections in Rivers State, where political alignments shifted in ways that shaped electoral outcomes: those aspiring under PDP returned with APC tickets, as Wike used SIEC to allocate votes and wins to parties. These developments further underscore the evolving dynamics within Nigeria’s political space, which the INEC also acted upon at the just-concluded FCT election”.
As members of the ADC Coalition, he said, “this outing strengthens our belief in the party’s viability ahead of 2027. It also reinforces the need for the ADC to present widely accepted, competent, and people-focused candidates across all levels.
“Looking ahead, the opposition must remain vigilant and organized, as observed with the FCT election, INEC may deploy fake and non-functional card readers, delete voters names from opposition stronghold, lack of election materials deployment, swap voters register to other places, use thugs and security agencies at ADC stronghold in 2027, Wike making rigging suspected statement, that the people’s responsibility is to vote, and leave the rest for him, speaks of rigging.
“Then moving around FCT during an election, even as his not an FCT register voter, all this are the plots to discourage voters not to come out in 2027, and it must be strongly resisted, because it completely illegal, base on the INEC recent actions, it’s clearly that INEC will compromise the conduct of free, fair and credible election. It’s important as the ADC coalition requires a counter-strategic planning, strong grassroots engagement, effective communication or propaganda(Lie Mohammed of ACN), writing to international organizations, world powers, President Donald Trump, and others for help protect our democracy, eye for an eye, and legal preparedness though our judiciary, which is an extension of the APC government.
He stated that, “unity among coalition leaders is essential; we must act collectively rather than independently, we must constantly embark on peaceful protests, write petitions to international organizations and world powers about the APC government’s performance and plans to rig the 2027 election. A coordinated approach will strengthen our voice and position us more effectively as a constructive opposition.
“History shows that political success often depends on strategy, messaging, organization, and persistence. If we are to compete effectively, we must be proactive, innovative, and disciplined in our approach. Politics, much like chess, requires patience, foresight, and carefully calculated moves”.
