Key points

• ADC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi says the party has no doubt it will win the 2027 election if the process is free and fair.
• Abdullahi alleged the APC intends to manipulate the vote and said the ADC is prepared to police its ballots throughout the process.
• He pointed to a comment attributed to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike about the Osun governorship election as evidence of intent to influence outcomes.

The African Democratic Congress says it is prepared for any outcome in the 2027 general election and is confident of defeating the ruling All Progressives Congress if the vote is free and fair.

ADC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi made the remarks during an interview on the Naija Unfiltered Podcast. He was responding to a question on whether the opposition party could realistically unseat the incumbent given the number of competing opposition groups.

Abdullahi said the party had no doubt about its chances at the polls. However, he raised concerns about the credibility of the electoral process itself.

“Yes, we believe so. In a free and fair election, we have no doubt in my mind that we win this election,” he said.

Preparing to protect votes

According to Abdullahi, the real challenge lies in whether the election will be conducted fairly. As a result, he said the ADC is preparing to defend its votes at every stage, alleging that the APC would attempt to manipulate the outcome.

“The challenge is: Will there be a fair and fair election. We are ready for that. We are ready for anything,” he said.

He added that anyone dealing with the ruling party had to be ready to act quickly, because, in his words, the ADC knows the APC wants to steal the election. “We will police our vote,” he said.

Abdullahi did not provide evidence for the allegation, and the APC has not responded to the claims in the interview.

Wike comment cited

Abdullahi also pointed to a recent comment attributed to Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory, about the Osun State governorship election. According to the spokesman, Wike suggested he would have delivered Osun for the APC had he been in the state.

In Abdullahi’s view, that remark raised questions about the minister’s intentions and those of his party. “What does that mean? That regardless of what the Osun people think, you have a way to deliver it. That’s confession,” he said.

Furthermore, the ADC spokesman alleged that the ruling party had turned to threats because it had lost public support. “We know Nigerians have abandoned them. They know Nigerians have abandoned them, and that’s why they are threatening everybody,” he said.

Consequently, Abdullahi said the ADC is approaching the 2027 election with the expectation that its supporters and ballots will need protection throughout the electoral process, from polling units to collation.

Meanwhile, the exchange adds to a growing war of words between the ADC and the APC as both sides position themselves ahead of the campaign season.