iDeemlawfulThe opposition parties in Nigeria are uniting to oust and wrest power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) following the victory of the party that produced the incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
This year, these opposition figures united and formed a coalition under the umbrella of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Opposition members officially adopted the ADC as its political platform on July 2, 2025, after months of high-level consultations.
Since the adoption, top Nigerian politicians have defected to the party, calling it the only viable platform that can send President Tinubu out of Aso Rock.
In this article, below are the top 8 Nigerian politicians who have defected to the ADC
- David Mark
The former Senate President dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) earlier this year for the ADC and was elected the acting National Chairman and later confirmed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
- Babachir Lawal
Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, gave more insights into his recent defection from the APC and his new alliance with the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The former APC chieftain confirmed his commitment to the coalition seeking to unseat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections. Lawal, who made his resignation from APC official on June 29, in an interview with Television Continental (TVC) said that his support for the opposition coalition had long predated his formal exit.
“We learned from APC itself,” he explained. “They created the template of remaining in a party but working for another. I simply applied their own strategy.”
He claimed that many within the APC were still secretly supporting the coalition but lacked the courage to do so publicly. “There are many of them,” he said.
“Some are governors. They are only quiet because they fear retaliation.” Lawal decried the APC as a party that stifled dissent and bullied its members into silence. He cited the culture of intimidation as the primary reason why he, along with many others, had abandoned the party. “Even advice is treated as anti-party activity,” he stated.
When asked whether the coalition was merely an anti-Tinubu movement with no credible alternative plan, Lawal defended the alliance as a platform for delivering better governance. “There is nothing wrong with former APC allies joining forces to remove a government they believe is failing Nigerians,” he asserted.
- El-Rufai
Nasir El-Rufai, the former Governor of Kaduna State, has officially joined the African Democratic Congress, months after leaving the All Progressives Congress.
The former governor registered with the ADC and collected his membership card at the party office in U/Sarki Ward, Kaduna State.
Recall that on March 10, 2025, Elrufai dumped the APC, citing a widening disconnect between his personal values and the direction of the APC as the reasoning for his defection.
The former Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, in his resignation letter, openly criticised the APC’s leadership, accusing the party of abandoning the progressive ideals upon which it was founded.
“Developments in the last two years confirm that there is no desire on the part of those who currently control and run the APC to acknowledge, much less address, the unhealthy situation of the party,” El-Rufai had stated.
According to him, he has tried his best by raising concerns about the party’s direction, both privately and publicly, for over two years, but all his warnings were ignored by the APC leadership.
The former Kaduna governor, who played a huge role during the 2013 merger of opposition parties that led to the formation of the APC, lamented that the party had lost its original vision.
After he resigned from the APC, El-Rufai joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
However, he has now resigned from the SDP effective from November 25, 2025.
In a letter addressed to the SDP Chairman, he wrote, “I wish to notify that I have resigned my membership of the SDP, effective 26 November 2025.
My focus remains on making my contributions to strengthening a unified democratic platform to offer a political alternative to the people of Nigeria.”
Do you think El-Rufai’s move to the ADC would boost the party’s chance to challenge President Tinubu in 2027? Let us know what you think in the comment section below.
- Atiku Abubakar
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar officially joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the coalition-backed party, on November 24, 2025. He is expected to align with ahead of the 2027 elections.
Atiku announced on Monday through his X handle, posting a photo of himself holding his ADC membership card with the brief caption, “It’s official.”
His move follows his July resignation from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), which had been mired in a prolonged internal crisis.
In July 2025, top opposition leaders, including Atiku Abubakar, former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai, ex-Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, and others, adopted the ADC as their new coalition platform to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general election.
- Rauf Aregbesola
Rauf Aregbesola, who served as the Interior Minister under the administration of the late President Muhammadu Buhari, dumped the All Progressive Congress for the coalition-backed ADC and was elected as the acting National Secretary.
“As a demonstration of my commitment, I completed my own symbolic registration at Ward 8, Unit 1, Ifofin, in Ilesa East Local Government Area of Osun State,” Aregbesola had said via his social media handles, urging existing members to validate their membership and new entrants to register.
The former Osun State governor said he agreed to serve as the Interim National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress because Nigeria’s political scene is dominated by parties lacking a clear ideological direction.
In his acceptance speech, which was shared Tuesday night on the verified Facebook page of a former Kaduna State Governor, Aregbesola stated that most existing political parties are mere hollow structures that merge and split not based on policy or principle, but on the pursuit of power and personal interests.
He said, “The ANC (of South Africa) is not perfect but it stands for something. It was forged in resistance, sharpened by vision, and led by men and women who believe in justice, dignity, equality, inclusivity of all interests and true freedom. It has character. It has soul. It is therefore a true platform for the expression of their aspirations.
“Sadly, in Nigeria today, we cannot say the same about many of our political parties.
“Our political landscape is plagued by parties that lack ideological depth. They are empty shells emerging and splitting, not over policy or principle, but over power and personality. There is little regard for the people, and even less for the country.”
Rauf Aregbesola’s political journey has spanned more than two decades, marked by influence, controversy, and shifting alliances.
He first emerged as a major figure in Nigerian politics during his eight-year tenure as Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure in Lagos State under then-Governor Bola Tinubu.
His performance in Lagos set the stage for his rise to governorship.
Aregbesola later contested the Osun State governorship under the Action Congress (AC), eventually taking office after a protracted legal battle.
During his time in Osun, he became one of the architects of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the coalition that ultimately unseated President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.
After completing two terms as governor, Aregbesola was appointed Minister of Interior by President Muhammadu Buhari. However, tensions emerged between him and his former political mentor, Tinubu, especially over the Osun political structure and the controversial re-election bid of then-Governor Gboyega Oyetola.
The rift defined much of Aregbesola’s later years in the APC.
The coalition was formally unveiled during a strategic meeting in Abuja on March 20, signalling Aregbesola’s full realignment ahead of the next national election cycle.
- Lauretta Onochie
Former Personal Assistant to the late President Buhari on New Media was one of the persons present during the unveiling of the ADC coalition in Abuja. She has been seen campaigning vigorously on social media for the party.
She has also turned into a vocal critic of President Tinubu and the ruling APC.
- Rotimi Amaechi
Former Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, is also one of the politicians who are in the coalition party.
Amaechi dumped the APC and accused the party of colluding with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to hijack the 2027 elections.
He stated this in an interview following the unveiling of the interim executive of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in Abuja on July 2.
Amaechi, who stated that he had resigned from APC on July 1, expressed surprise that he had not been expelled from the party, despite having warned them not to send him invitations to meetings.
“I left APC last night,” he confirmed. “I never attended one meeting, last time they invited me I warned them.
“I said, if you invite me to any meeting anymore… In fact, I was surprised that I wasn’t even expelled because I warned them in writing, don’t even invite me to any meeting.
“You can’t be in a club where majority of people are stealing and you don’t say anything.”
When asked why he chose not to join or support the current administration, but instead appeared to be clamouring for a change of government, he responded saying, “No, it’s not about changing the government. If it were just about changing the government, then there would be no need to do so. It’s about changing Nigeria.
“Nigeria is completely destroyed. People can’t eat. People can’t buy food. There’s no money to buy food. Everything is gone. Inflation is at its peak. And the federal government is busy going around trying to hijack the election. INEC is helping them to hijack the election.
“No, no, no. What must happen here is that we must start not just a party, but a movement. It must be a movement that brings Nigerians to, on their own, take over government, not us.”
- Abubakar Malami
Former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, has also dumped the APC to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
According to Malami, his decision was driven by “deep personal reflection” and a “commitment to rescue Nigeria.”
“After wide consultations and deep personal reflection, I hereby announce my resignation from the APC and my decision to align with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the party of choice for our coalition — a coalition driven by the urgent need to rescue our country from further decline,” he said.
He described the current state of the nation as “unacceptable,” citing worsening insecurity, economic hardship, and what he termed as “governance by propaganda.”
The statement reads: “My Fellow Nigerians, and the Good People of Kebbi State,”
“After wide consultations and deep personal reflection, I hereby announce my resignation from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and my decision to align with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the party of choice for our coalition — a coalition driven by the urgent need to rescue our country from further decline.”
“This is not a decisive made out of anger or ambition, but one inspired by love for our nation and concern for the hardship our people are facing daily.”
“Nigeria is bleeding. Insecurity has taken over our homes, especially in the North. Banditry, kidnappings, and terrorism have become part of our lives while the government prioritizes politics over the safety of its citizens.”
“Our economy is in shambles. Prices of basic food items have tripled. The poor can no longer feed their families. Jobs are disappearing. Young people are hopeless. Instead of focusing on real solutions, the government is consumed by propaganda and political distractions.”
“Governance has been abandoned. Appointments, projects, and policies are now guided by political loyalty and not national interest. I cannot remain part of a system that watches in silence as Nigerians suffer and die.”
“This is why I am joining the ADC — a platform built on the values of justice, inclusion, competence, and national renewal. I believe that through this coalition and with the support of Nigerians, we can chart a new course for our beloved country.”
“To the people of Kebbi State, I remain your son and servant. I will never abandon you. This move is to amplify your voice, protect your interests, and restore hope to our future.”
“To every Nigerian, I urge you to join this movement. Let us rise above fear and reclaim our nation. Nigeria belongs to all of us.”
“May God bless Kebbi State. May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
