The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has declared that it can defeat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election without relying on a broad opposition coalition.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, made the position known during an interview on Arise TV, saying the ADC had built enough support among Nigerians to pursue victory independently.

“We don’t need a coalition to win this election. The African Democratic Congress does not need a coalition to win this election,” Abdullahi said.

He explained that discussions among opposition parties were still ongoing, but described a coalition as an advantage rather than a condition for the ADC’s success.

According to him, cooperation could make the opposition’s task easier, particularly in protecting votes, but would not determine whether the ADC could win.

“If we are able to build the kind of coalition that we started, maybe it will make our job easier, but we don’t need that coalition to win the election,” he said.

Abdullahi said opposition parties were also considering a common framework for election monitoring and vote protection.

He argued that the 2027 contest would ultimately be determined by voters rather than the political strength displayed within the National Assembly.

“The 2027 election will not be contested on the floor of the National Assembly. It is the people of Nigeria that will decide who they want to vote for,” he said.

The ADC spokesman expressed confidence in the party’s presidential candidate, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, saying the party still had about six months to mobilise support nationwide.

He described the election as a referendum on the Tinubu administration’s performance.

“We are confident we will win this election because we have Nigerians behind us,” Abdullahi declared.

Meanwhile, the OK Movement, a political platform established to mobilise support around the joint ticket of Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has rejected any proposal to merge the organisation into another political body.

The movement said it would remain an independent organisation while maintaining its willingness to cooperate with allied groups pursuing common objectives.

The decision followed its National Leadership Summit in Abuja, attended by national leaders, geopolitical coordinators, state coordinators and grassroots mobilisers from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The movement also affirmed John Ughulu as its founder and Director-General, rejecting any proposal for his replacement.

According to the communique issued after the summit, the decision was based on the grassroots structure built around Ughulu’s leadership.

The movement said its supporters were mobilised ward by ward and that much of the organisation’s strength was connected to the credibility and relationship its founder had established with volunteers.

“Social media handles can be reassigned; the confidence of thousands of grassroots mobilisers cannot,” the communique stated.

The OK Movement said it would not accept consolidation imposed from outside, arguing that such a move could disrupt ongoing programmes, weaken its identity and undermine the momentum built by its grassroots structure.

It, however, stressed that independence should not be interpreted as isolation.

“Independence does not mean isolation: we remain ready to coordinate closely with allied groups in pursuit of shared goals,” the movement said.

The summit also extended an invitation to Ms Jacky Wayas to return as Director for Strategic Implementation and Planning.

Following the resignation of Ambassador Muhammad Auwal Musa as Deputy Director-General, North, the movement approved Prince Suleiman Abubakar as his replacement.

The leadership further said grassroots coordinators had expressed unwillingness to continue operating under an arrangement that removed Ughulu or compromised the movement’s independence.

The group said the position was communicated to ensure the public understood the consequences of any attempt to alter its existing structure.

After the summit, the movement’s national leadership visited Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to brief him on the outcome of its deliberations.

The delegation also met Alhaji Buba Galadima, head of the movement’s Advisory Council.

According to the communique, Galadima reaffirmed the importance of unity within the organisation and advised that the OK Movement remain an independent support group.

He also cautioned against merging the movement into the NDC party, regardless of how such a proposal might be presented.

The developments highlight two different approaches emerging within the opposition ahead of 2027: while the ADC says it can defeat the ruling party without depending on a coalition, the OK Movement is insisting that its own organisational identity and grassroots structure must remain intact.

Both positions underscore the continuing negotiations, alliances and competing strategies shaping Nigeria’s opposition politics ahead of the presidential election.