Anietie Udobit, Abuja
As Nigeria’s opposition edges toward a defining election cycle, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is attempting something unusual in the country’s political playbook — redesigning power itself.
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Amid rising tensions among presidential hopefuls, the party has unveiled a “collegiate system,” a power-sharing framework aimed at preventing the kind of post-primary fractures that have historically weakened opposition coalitions.
Speaking on The Morning Show, ADC reform advocate Lukman Salihu described the model as a deliberate move away from Nigeria’s winner-takes-all politics.
“This is not about one person taking everything,” he said. “It’s about building a government where decisions are shared — where leadership is collective, not imperial.”
The proposal comes as heavyweight contenders — including Peter Obi, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Atiku Abubakar and Rotimi Amaechi — jostle for influence within a fragile opposition alliance.
Rather than suppress competition, Salihu framed the internal friction as healthy.
“Without contestation, it’s no longer politics,” he said. “But whoever emerges must carry others along — not push them aside.”
Behind the scenes, the ADC says it has already developed a citizen-focused manifesto, crafted by a 50-member policy committee. Yet legal disputes and internal wrangling have delayed its unveiling — a reminder that even reformist ambition must navigate Nigeria’s complex political terrain.
Still, the party insists unity is achievable.
And perhaps, necessary.