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Former Senate President David Mark and ex-Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola have emerged as Interim National Chairman and Interim National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), respectively.
The appointments, which mark a significant realignment in Nigeria’s opposition landscape, were made on Tuesday night during a high-level meeting of prominent political leaders in Abuja. The gathering, described by insiders as strategic, aimed at solidifying a united front to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the next elections.
Also appointed was former Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi, who will serve as the party’s Interim National Publicity Secretary. The new leadership is expected to be formally presented to the public at a ceremony in Abuja on Wednesday.
Multiple sources at the meeting, who requested anonymity, disclosed that the selection of the interim officers was unanimous and followed extensive consultations among stakeholders. One of the sources said Aregbesola had initially resisted taking on the role but was persuaded following intense lobbying by coalition leaders.
“We just concluded a meeting tonight. Mark and Aregbesola have been appointed as the ADC Interim National Chairman and National Secretary. This will be officially unveiled tomorrow. We are on track,” the source revealed.
Another source confirmed that former ADC National Chairman Ralph Nwosu had stepped aside to pave the way for the new leadership.
The development signals the formal adoption of the ADC as the official platform for a broad-based political coalition that includes former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, ex-Ministers Rotimi Amaechi and Nasir El-Rufai, among others.
Talks of such a coalition first gained traction in March when several opposition leaders met in Abuja to explore the possibility of forming a unified front. Since then, mounting dissatisfaction with President Bola Tinubu’s administration — especially over rising inflation and the spiralling cost of living — has fuelled the urgency to present a viable alternative.
Political observers note that with major opposition parties like the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) facing internal divisions, the emergence of a unified platform could shift the balance of political power ahead of 2027.
Confirming the move on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle, former PDP National Publicity Secretary Kola Ologbondiyan wrote:
“African Democratic Congress (ADC) has been adopted as the political party for the coalition. The party has elected Sen. David Mark as the Interim National Chairman and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as the Interim National Secretary.”
