ADC Presidential Candidate Atiku Abubakar hosted all the ADC governorship candidates to an interactive pre-campaign dinner on Monday night at Boso Restaurant, Wuse 2, Abuja. The gathering signals the party’s move to rally its candidates and build momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The dinner comes as the ADC positions itself as a major opposition force. Atiku has previously met with ADC candidates across various states, including a meeting with all Adamawa State ADC candidates in August, where he urged them to begin mass mobilisation and voter sensitisation efforts. He had also arrived in Osogbo ahead of the Osun State governorship election to support the ADC candidate, Najeem Folasayo Salaam.
However, the party has also been grappling with internal disputes. A crisis has erupted in the Adamawa State chapter after Atiku referred to “Hamman Tukur Ribadu” as the ADC governorship candidate in the state, while other party sources have identified Ambassador Engineer Omar Suleiman as the candidate. This followed a July 2026 denial by Atiku’s aide that the former Vice President was involved in any attempt to replace a duly nominated ADC candidate . Several other states, including Cross River, have also seen disputes over candidate lists.
The dinner represents Atiku’s effort to consolidate the party’s structure and build a unified front. The ADC, which Atiku has described as “the most credible alternative” to the ruling APC, is seeking to present a formidable challenge in the 2027 elections. Atiku has also launched an ambitious drive to mobilise 20 million votes, inaugurating state coordinators of the RiseUpNaija Movement. The party’s campaign has faced internal debates over its composition, including a stalemate over who should head the presidential campaign between Senator Aminu Tambuwal and Senator Liyel Imoke.
With INEC scheduled to release the official list of governorship candidates on September 5, the dinner appears designed to strengthen party cohesion ahead of the formal campaign period . Atiku’s message to the candidates emphasised unity and the need to engage the electorate through grassroots mobilisation. The party has also screened over 70 governorship aspirants as it prepares for the 2027 elections. The ADC is seen as a growing force, with candidates fielded in several states including Lagos (Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour), Ogun (Jimi Lawal), and Rivers (Gabriel Pidomson).
The winners: Atiku and the ADC, which are consolidating their campaign structures; and the ADC governorship candidates, who are gaining party support. The losers: the ruling APC, which faces a more organised opposition; and the ADC leadership, which must resolve ongoing internal disputes.
Bottom Line: Atiku has hosted ADC governorship candidates at a pre-campaign dinner. The opposition is organising. The question is whether the party can resolve its internal disputes and present a united front against the APC.