The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has Bolaji Abdullahi as its National Publicity Secretary. In this interview, CHIBUIKE CHUKWU discusses a number of topics, including the All Progressives Congress’s (APC) shortcomings, the ADC’s strategy for the general elections in 2027, and the continuous rush to join the coalition opposition party. A few quotes.
Since the coalition ADC joined, the party has gained widespread acceptance across the nation, with several members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) reportedly identifying as its members. What do you suppose is the cause of this?
I mean, the only explanation is that Nigerians realized they no longer wanted this APC. They are aware of the suffering and adversity that the current administration has inflicted upon them. Because the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been destabilized and is essentially dead, Nigerians have realized that all of these problems are related to the current APC government, but they haven’t been able to identify an alternative. Their governors have all departed, and more could follow. As of this now, I don’t think those who have departed have any hope of returning. The populace believed they had no other option. Therefore, the arrival of ADC was a welcome relief to those Nigerians who had become weary of the path the APC was heading the nation. Therefore, what you observe in the nation—that is, the shift to ADC—is a manifestation of two things: first, the rejection of APC, and second, the possibility of an alternative. That makes sense, and I can assure you that it will continue because Nigerians are suffering greatly under the current administration. Across the nation, the narrative remains consistent: the APC has not been able to address the issue that they caused.
Many Nigerians thought that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not hold free and fair elections in 2023 and that the process was opaque. Given the haste to form a coalition and the fact that the 2027 election will be overseen by the same INEC, what steps is the party taking to ensure that the votes will count in 2027 and that the person selected by the voters at the various polling places will be proclaimed the victor?
Getting people to vote will be our largest obstacle. How can we persuade individuals to cast their ballots? Assuring individuals that their votes will count is the only way we can persuade them to cast their ballots. Do you understand me? They tell themselves that no matter what we do, these people will still write the results after looking at the most recent election and their previous votes. Thus, the situation is quite risky. For this reason, one of our biggest obstacles is to keep pushing for electoral reform. Additionally, automatic results transmission from the polling station must be the foundation of that electoral reform. That’s how it is. Therefore, you will see a lot of action from us on this issue because we are aware that, God forbid, we will plunge the nation into a catastrophe if this government forbids a free and fair election. Therefore, everyone must be on guard because a major problem could arise if you read that people are aware that they did not vote for you. Therefore, it appears from all signs that this government is made up of individuals who are not familiar with following the law. We shall keep up our pressure on INEC to uphold the constitution, honor popular will, and refrain from acting as a tool to impede this nation’s advancement. INEC needs to understand that its mandate is to serve this nation’s interests.
One significant concern among Nigerians is zoning and personal goals within the ADC coalition. Numerous Nigerians think that the party may implode as a result of concerns like where the ADC would zone their presidential ticket. Therefore, does the party have a system in place to prevent any crises from arising from this and to ensure that everyone will support the presidential candidate regardless of where he comes from?
Allowing a free and transparent election process within our own party is the greatest way for us to deal with the problem—I mean, the way we intend to deal with it. Nobody will be asked to withdraw on our behalf. Our agenda isn’t set in stone. No candidate is our top choice. We want to give members the freedom to choose who will represent the party. It is well known that certain political parties may have a pre-selected candidate that everyone would support, but ADC would not follow suit. We will let the procedure generate the candidate. For that reason, we are not discussing the areas in which we will and will not zone the president. That conversation isn’t happening in ADC. As previously stated, our internal election will be as transparent as anticipated, and I can guarantee that whoever is chosen to represent the party will be accepted by all as it will be obvious to everyone.
PDP’s issue in 2023 resulted from their failure to zone their ticket to the south due to noncompliance with zoning regulations. Tinubu will give the South four years. To guarantee that the zone lasts for a further four years, is it not appropriate for the ADC to zone their ticket to the south?
I already informed you that ADC is not currently having that conversation. We’re a fresh group. Our party’s construction is our top priority. We will cross the bridge when we arrive at it. We will make a decision about presidential candidates when the time comes. Now, we will not disclose to anyone that this is the area in which we will focus our presidential campaign. The building of the party is our top priority. Our current priorities are unaffected by zoning to any side. Let us first establish the party and then unite. We must establish a framework that Nigerians can trust and believe in if they wish to join our party. So, it is our top priority right now. Of course, we can return and continue the conversation when we have more time and are ready to decide how to handle this problem you have brought up.
The APC has stated on multiple occasions that the coalition is composed of individuals who are upset over not being appointed to any positions in the current government. How would you rank this government in light of this? How do you interpret such a story?
You can’t claim that everyone in ADC is upset because they were not given a position in Tinibu’s administration. Did they initially anticipate any appointments from Tinubu’s administration? People from several parties make up ADC. Therefore, it’s acceptable if there are members of his party who had expectations. However, some people had no expectations of him. And some of the people who joined him are upset because they want to get to a point where 99% of people participate more, which is a valid concern for everyone. Therefore, it isn’t about reading it cynically and saying, “Oh, it’s because they weren’t invited to the table or he lost out on power.” I mean, are you implying that Chief John Oyegun, who is eighty-six, is upset today because he was not invited to join the ruling party for dinner? If they truly mean what they say, they are promoting the incorrect narrative. As I have argued, Nigerians are suffering greatly, and the government appears to be at a loss for solutions, but they are trying to keep the nation united. Because they see the need to prevent the nation from plunging further into despair, people are identifying with the ADC.
What do ADC consider to be the main shortcomings of the current administration, as these will serve as the focus of their campaign? In other words, what areas do you believe the current APC government has failed on and on which the coalition ADC will base its campaign to persuade Nigerians ahead of the general elections in 2027? To put it another way, the party needs to tell Nigerians what they will do differently from the APC government.
You are familiar with this as you reside in Lagos. Is that insufficient justification for a government to give up and declare that it is impossible to accomplish this? See, they are the ones that caused the issue. They didn’t consider the impact on the populace when the president announced that gasoline subsidies would be eliminated. We are not referring to the idea of eliminating subsidies, which we reject. The reason is that they didn’t think it through enough to say, “This is what we are going to do, and there’s a reason why previous administrations haven’t succeeded in doing it.” Have we adequately considered the ensuing fallout? How are we going to address the impact on the populace? Then, while they were still in power, they devalued the naira, and when you mix the two, you end up with a catastrophe. Nigeria’s willingness to go that far in devaluing its currency even astonished the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Thus, these are the two problems that led to the current crisis—by which I mean the immediate crisis resulting from the current disaster in which Nigeria finds itself. We can also bring up the problem of incompetence. First, when discussing the core of the ADC, it should be noted that the organization has accomplished one goal. The culture of quiet that they were imposing on our nation has been destroyed by us. It is the top priority. Second, we are giving them alternatives. Nigeria was gradually becoming into a one-party state prior to the arrival of ADC. Therefore, that has been stopped by the arrival of ADC. Third, when they say that they want to save Nigeria, they mean to restore its past. However, if something is on the brink of a cliff, wouldn’t you reset it and put it back? We are arguing that we must take a step back and examine ourselves because they have driven the nation and the Nigerian people to the brink. If you ask any Nigerian—and I can ask you, too—if we haven’t suffered enough, it’s because of the policies this government has implemented. We pay 1,000 Naira for a liter of gasoline, 1,500, and 1,600 for a dollar, and you claim that it is not a problem, despite the fact that we are suffering greatly today. Is that the cost of improving Nigeria? Has this government informed you about the duration of our suffering? Has it shown to anyone how our suffering will end in the end? What exactly are we paying for, then? For what reason are we suffering? They claim that they have eliminated the fuel subsidy. The amount of money we are spending on subsidies is crazy. Does that not exist? And where is the money exactly? For what are they employed? Again, where’s the money? They’ll tell you that the states are receiving greater funding as a result, but that is untrue. Due to the devaluation of the Naira, they are providing the state with a larger budget. It is a financial delusion. Because they are giving the same amount and using the same dollar word, it is illusory. Since you lose a lot of money when you convert it to Naira due to the devaluation, where is this money? Infrastructure development is what they claim to be doing. How has this infrastructure made people’s lives better? We at ADC are arguing that Nigeria must be able to enter a hospital, see drugs, and ask, “Well, where is this free drug coming from?” if they want to persuade us that they are truly doing morally. Then they say, “Oh, it’s from subsidy.” Does that not exist? What exactly are we suffering for, then, if we don’t discover it? ADC is posing that query. What is causing us to suffer? Why are Nigerians being penalized for the depreciation of the naira and the elimination of subsidies? And from where will the light originate? Is there hope for the future? From what source will this light originate? Less than two years remain. Elections will begin by the following year. That’s it by the time next year’s elections begin. When, then, will we benefit from this suffering? And they’ll say that it’s a slow process and that a good policy will always be difficult. That is really dishonest of the administration. Given that we have no idea what they are doing, why should we reward them and give them another four years? Given the amount of adversity and suffering Nigerians are, to be honest, going through, it will be awful to have them for another four years. Because they regard the ADC as a superior option than the APC, Nigerians are flocking to join it.
What are your thoughts on the tax reform bill? The government’s creation of the bill has at least received praise from some quarters.
for creating the bill for tax reform. They aren’t being criticized for it, after all. It’s a good thing that tax reform is required. The tax reform isn’t important, though. It is how the people’s quality of life will improve as a result of higher tax inflation. If the people’s quality of life is not improved, more funding for the government is useless. That’s the essential point. What impact does tax reform have on the average person? In what ways may tax reform assist an Oshodi lady who is having financial difficulties providing for her children? What does it mean to her that a single child is making 35,000 Naira? Today, 35,000 Naira is hardly more than 3,000 Naira. Money can purchase things. What does tax reform entail before we introduce it here? How does it mean?
As a former sports minister, are you okay with the National Sports Commission taking the place of the sports ministry entirely?
Well, it has advantages of its own. Flexibility is made possible. It gives more continuity. The rotation of sports ministers over the years is one of the issues facing the sport industry. As one of the longest-serving ministers of sports, I spent about three years. That’s not acceptable. You can’t genuinely prepare for an Olympic Games in four years, for instance, if we begin today. Getting athletes ready for the Olympics probably takes eight years. Therefore, it is impossible to create a plan when you have ministers who don’t work for up to two years. Having a director general with a term that can be extended over eight years on a sports commission indicates that he is capable of creating and carrying out a plan. That is its merit. The National Sports Commission’s chairman and director general are not cabinet members, which is a drawback. Thus, the Federal Executive Council does not have a seat for sports. Thus, that is its disadvantage. The question, however, is whether the merit or the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.
