Chieftains of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Kabiru Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held a closed-door stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, fueling intense speculation of a major opposition merger ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The meeting, which comes amid deep-seated leadership crises rocking both parties, featured heavyweights including the former Vice President and current ADC chieftain, Atiku Abubakar, alongside Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde.
While the specific agenda of the parley remained shrouded in secrecy, photos shared on the official X (formerly Twitter) handle of the PDP showed a “united front” of opposition figures.
Among those in attendance were Chief David Mark, the embattled Chairman of a faction of the ADC, and Turaki, who led the PDP delegation. The gathering is seen by political analysts as a strategic move to consolidate opposition forces against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The meeting occurs at a time when the ADC is grappling with a legitimacy battle at the Federal High Court, while the PDP continues to navigate internal friction between its various power blocs.
Coinciding with the high-level meeting, the David Mark-led faction of the ADC has formally submitted a petition to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), demanding the immediate resignation of its Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN).
The party is alleging partisan conduct, gross misconduct, and significant constitutional breaches by the INEC boss. The ADC claims that the commission’s recent administrative bottlenecks, including a refusal to accept party correspondence, are designed to stifle the opposition.
The presence of Makinde, a key PDP governor, alongside Atiku, who moved to the ADC following the fallout of the 2023 and 2025 internal PDP cycles, suggests a potential realignment.
“The meeting is about survival,” a source familiar with the proceedings told SaharaReporters. “Both parties realise that if they remain fragmented, INEC and the ruling party will pick them apart one by one before 2027.”
The ADC had earlier raised an alarm over “landmines” set by INEC, specifically a May 10 deadline for the submission of candidates which the party believes it is being intentionally blocked from meeting.
