The National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is Bolaji Abdullahi. 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 are some of the topics covered in this interview with CHIBUIKE CHUKWU. excerpts.
Many people in the nation have embraced the ADC since it joined the alliance, and even members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have even been known to identify with it. What do you believe is causing this?
This APC was no longer what Nigerians wanted, and that’s the only explanation, really. The current administration has forced them to endure agony and suffering, which they are aware of. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been destabilized, essentially killed, so Nigerians have realized that all of these problems are related to the current APC government, but they haven’t found a substitute. As you are aware, all of their governors have departed, and more might follow. For the time being at least, I don’t see any likelihood of those who have left returning. People believed they had no other option. For those Nigerians who were and are still fed up with the way the APC was leading the nation, the arrival of the ADC was a welcome respite. Therefore, what you observe in the nation—that is, the shift to ADC—is a combination of two things: one, a rejection of the APC, and second, a chance for an alternative. Nigerians are suffering greatly under the current regime, thus that explains the surge we are witnessing into the party. I can assure you that it will continue. The story is the same across the nation: the APC has not been able to solve the issue that they caused.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was accused by many Nigerians of holding free and fair elections in the 2023 general election and of lacking transparency in the process. 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 whoever the voters select at the various polling places will be proclaimed the victor?
The largest obstacle we will have is how to get people to cast ballots. How can we persuade individuals to cast ballots? We can only persuade people to cast their ballots if we give them confidence that their votes will count. Think you understand me? Regardless of what we do, people will write the results based on their past votes and the results of the most recent election. Thus, it’s a really risky circumstance. Maintaining our advocacy for electoral reform is therefore one of our biggest challenges. Automatic transmission of polling-unit results must be the foundation of that electoral reform. Thus, it’s that easy. You should expect to see a lot of action from us on this issue because we are aware that, God forbid, if this government prevents a free and fair election, we will plunge the nation into a crisis. When you read that people are aware that they did not vote for you, it could cause a major crisis, so everyone must be on guard. Based on all available information, it appears that this government is made up of individuals who are not familiar with the regulations. We shall keep putting pressure on INEC to uphold the constitution, honor popular will, and refrain from acting as stand-ins for the advancement of this nation. INEC ought to acknowledge that its mandate is to serve the interests of this nation.
Regarding personal goals and zoning in the coalition ADC, Nigerians have one relevant fear. A lot of Nigerians think that the party may collapse over problems like where the ADC would put its presidential ticket. 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 open election process within our own party is the best course of action for us to take—that is, the approach we intend to take. We will not request withdrawals on behalf of anyone. Our agenda isn’t predetermined. There isn’t a candidate we favor. We want members to have the freedom to choose who will represent the party. As is well known, in several political parties, there is a preset candidate that everyone would follow, but ADC will not do that. The procedure will be allowed to generate the candidate. Because of this, we are not discussing the areas in which we will and will not zone the president. No one is discussing that discussion in ADC. Our internal election, as I previously stated, 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.
Zoning violations in 2023 caused PDP’s issues because they were unable to zone their ticket to the south. With Tinubu’s help, South will serve for four years. Doesn’t the ADC have the authority to zone their ticket to the south in order to provide the zone another four years?
Well, I already told you that ADC is not having that talk right now. We’re a fresh party. Our party is our main priority. We will cross the bridge when it comes to us. The time will come when we will have to make a decision about presidential candidates. The fact that this is where we will zone our presidential candidacy will not be disclosed to anyone at this time. Getting the party going is our top focus. Our current priorities have nothing to do with zoning to any side. First, let’s establish the party and then we can consolidate. Because Nigerians want to join our party, we must establish a framework they can rely on. Thus, that is our top priority at the moment. Naturally, we can return to discuss this matter when we have more time and are ready to decide how to handle the problem you have brought up.
The APC has repeatedly claimed that the coalition is composed of a few irate individuals who were passed over for posts in the current administration. What is your rating of this government in light of that? What are your thoughts on such a story?
The fact that not all ADC members received appointments in Tinibu’s administration does not necessarily mean that they are all upset. Was it their initial expectation that Tinubu’s government would make any appointments? ADC is composed of members from various political parties. It’s okay, then, if there are members of his party who had expectations. On the other hand, several people had no expectations of him. He was joined by others who are upset because they want to reach a point where 99% of people participate more, which is a valid worry for all. Therefore, it is not sufficient to interpret it cynically and conclude that it is because they were not invited to the table or that he lost out on power. 86-year-old Chief John Oyegun is upset today because he was not invited to join the ruling party for dinner, is that right? If they mean what they say, they’re peddling the wrong narrative. As I have maintained, Nigerians are suffering greatly, and the government appears to be at a loss for solutions, but they are trying to keep the nation united. People recognize the need to stop the nation from sinking farther into despair, which is why they are associating with the ADC.
What do the ADC believe to be the main shortcomings of the current administration, which will serve as the focus of their campaign? In other words, the party must explain to Nigerians what it will do differently from the APC government. In other words, what areas do you believe the current APC government has failed on, and how will the coalition ADC use these areas to build its case to Nigerians before the general elections in 2027?
You are familiar with Lagos, where you reside. Is it not sufficient justification for a government to give up and declare that everything is impossible? You see, they are the ones that made the issue. They did not consider the impact on the populace when the president announced that gasoline subsidies would be eliminated. The notion of eliminating subsidies, which we reject, is not what we are discussing. The reason is that they didn’t think it through enough to assert that “this thing that we are about to do, there is a reason that successive administrations have failed in doing it.” Have we taken into consideration the consequences that will follow? How will we address the impact on individuals? They then devalued the naira while they were still in power, and when you couple these two things together, you have a recipe for disaster. The willingness of Nigeria to devalue its currency to that extent even astonished the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Thus, these two problems are the root causes of the current crisis—by which I mean the immediate crisis resulting from the current disaster in which Nigeria finds itself currently. Additionally, there are the problems of ineptitude that we might discuss. When discussing the core of the ADC, it should be noted that the organization has accomplished one goal. They were forcing this nation to adopt a culture of silence, which we have destroyed. Number one is that. The second thing we are doing is giving folks alternatives. A one-party state was gradually taking over Nigeria prior to the arrival of ADC. With ADC’s arrival, that has been stopped. The third point is that when they say that they want to save Nigeria, they want to restore its past. However, if something is on the brink of a cliff, wouldn’t you reset it and put it back? Nigeria and its citizens have been driven to the brink by them, and we are saying that we must take a step back and examine ourselves. Ask every Nigerian, and I can ask you too, if we haven’t suffered enough because of the policies this government has implemented. Nigerians haven’t merely ended up where they are. You claim that it is not an issue, despite the fact that we are suffering greatly today—we spend 1,000 Naira for a liter of gasoline, 1,500, and 1,600 for a dollar. Would we have a better Nigeria if we paid that price? How long will our misery last, according to this government? Has it demonstrated to anyone how our suffering will ultimately come to an end? So, what precisely are we purchasing? What precisely is causing our suffering? According to them, the gasoline subsidy has been eliminated. The amount of money we’re spending on subsidies is crazy. Is that untrue? What about the money? Why are they employed? I ask again: where is the money? They will tell you, “Oh, that’s why they’re giving the states more money,” but that’s untrue. Because of the Naira’s devaluation, they are providing the state with a larger allocation. The money is an illusion. The fact that they are giving the same amount in the same currency makes it illusory. Due to the devaluation, you lose a significant amount of money when you convert it to Naira. Where is this money now? According to them, they are building infrastructure. What positive effects has this infrastructure had on people’s lives? Nigeria must be able to enter a hospital, see drugs, and ask, “Well, where is this free drug coming from?” if they wish to persuade us that they are truly doing morally. Ah, it’s from subsidy, they say. Is that untrue? What precisely are we going through if we don’t find it? That is what ADC is attempting to answer. For what do we suffer? In the name of eliminating subsidies and devaluing the naira, what are Nigerians being punished for? What will be the source of the light? Can we see the end of the tunnel? Where is the source of this light? It’s fewer than two years left. By the next year, elections will begin. It will be over by the time the next year’s elections begin. So, when will this suffering pay off for us? It’s a gradual process, they will add, and a good policy will always be difficult. It’s really dishonest of the government. So why should we give them another four years and reward them when we don’t even know what they’re doing? To be honest, considering the amount of misery and adversity Nigerians are going through, it will be terrible to have them for another four years. Because the ADC is a better option than the APC, Nigerians are flocking to join it.
How does the tax reform bill seem to you? At least a few people have praised the government for the bill’s creation.
in order to develop the tax reform bill. They’re not being criticized for it, after all. It is a good thing and necessary to reform taxes. But the tax overhaul isn’t important. That’s how more tax inflation will result in better living conditions for the populace. If it doesn’t improve people’s lives, more funding for the government is pointless. And that’s the bottom line. What does tax reform do to the average person on the street, you know? How might tax reform assist a struggling Oshodi lady who is trying to provide for her kids? How does a single child feel about earning 35,000 Naira? As of the now, 35,000 Naira is hardly more than 3,000 Naira. What money can purchase is money. Firstly, what does tax reform mean before we introduce it? What is its meaning?
As a former sports minister, would you feel at ease with the National Sports Commission taking the place of the sports ministry entirely?
Yes, it does have advantages. It gives you flexibility. More continuity is made possible. A issue facing the sports industry is the high turnover of sports ministers throughout time. Among the longest-serving ministers of sports, I spent around three years. It’s not sufficient. For instance, you can’t genuinely prepare for an Olympic Games in four years if we begin now to be ready for the Tokyo Olympics. Probably eight years are needed to get athletes ready for the Olympics. Hence, it is impossible to create a plan when ministers don’t work for up to two years. Because of this, a sports commission with a director general whose term can be extended by eight years indicates that he is capable of creating and carrying out a plan. That is what it has to offer. One of the National Sports Commission’s drawbacks is that neither the chairman nor the director general are members of the government. Sports, however, are not represented on the Federal Executive Council. Therefore, that is its disadvantage. However, the issue is whether the benefits or merits outweigh the drawbacks.
