According to Elisha Abbo, a former senator from Adamawa, the African Democratic Congress’ (ADC) election reflects the realities of contemporary Nigerian politics.
In an effort to combine diverse political interests and confront the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the ADC was formally introduced in Abuja on Wednesday as the platform for a united opposition coalition.
Abbo, a prominent member of the recently revealed opposition coalition, called the ADC’s adoption a “marriage of convenience” in an interview with Vanguard.
Politics is a game of interests—personal, regional, and national—and this group of politicians is playing the game. “These varied interests will be utilized, but they cannot be separated from one another,” he stated.
Abbo stated that the alliance would choose candidates for all electoral offices, including the presidency, in accordance with democratic ideals.
“In the end, candidates for all positions will be chosen and elected using democratic principles. It’s critical to keep in mind that this is only a temporary leadership structure. The congresses would be followed by a national convention when the party’s national executives will be chosen, he clarified.
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Abbo addressed worries about ideological disagreements inside the coalition, dismissing them as baseless and citing the APC’s 2013 founding as an example.
“This has previously occurred throughout Africa. Unusual bedfellows have bonded over shared national goals. The APC, the current ruling party, was likewise a mash-up of various political and private interests. To form the APC, members of the PDP, ANPP, CPC, and ACN united. They came to the Villa as a result of that convenience marriage as well.
It is a convenience marriage since, of course, any successful marriage needs to be convenient. A marriage cannot succeed if convenience is lacking. Therefore, he stated, “Yes, it is a marriage of convenience, but it is also motivated by national interest.”
