Politics is rarely straightforward. It is a journey filled with contradictions, shifting loyalties, and unexpected alliances. My experience with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is a clear reflection of these realities.
As Campaign Director General for the ADC during the 2023 elections, I stood at the heart of a battle that tested both the party’s survival and Nigeria’s democratic hopes. My bond with the ADC was not just political affiliation — it was an emotional investment in what I thought could be a credible alternative for Nigerians.
The party, under Chief Ralph Nwosu, was in crisis. Once a symbol of hope, it became beset by internal strife and external pressure. Dumebi Kachikwu challenged Nwosu’s leadership, while a looming court order demanded a national convention. At that moment, decisive action was needed.
I stepped in with conviction. Organizing the national convention in Zaria became a turning point. It wasn’t just about meeting a legal requirement; it was about saving the soul of the ADC. The convention was electric, filled with optimism as delegates from across Nigeria rallied to defend the party’s integrity.
But that hope soon collapsed. Behind the scenes, Chief Nwosu’s leadership showed its true colors. In negotiations with the Atiku-led coalition, unilateral decisions betrayed the trust of loyal party members. The ADC, instead of being strengthened, was being traded away.
For me, this was deeply personal. I had poured time, resources, and faith into the ADC. To watch the very leadership I fought to protect compromise the party’s autonomy was a sobering lesson in how fragile political ideals can be in the face of ambition.
This betrayal forced me to reflect on the broader state of Nigerian politics. Too often, leaders embrace the mindset that “the end justifies the means.” Integrity is sacrificed for expediency, and manipulation replaces genuine vision.
Figures like Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, and Abubakar Malami — all linked in various ways to the ADC’s story — embody this political culture. As they compete for power, strategies often emerge that undermine the very ethics democracy is meant to uphold.
This reality poses a critical question: can Nigeria’s democracy survive a political culture where ambition trumps principle? The answer lies in vigilance. Citizens must demand accountability, reject opportunism, and insist that political actors are held to higher standards.
In the end, my relationship with the ADC taught me more than any election ever could. It revealed the fault lines in our politics and the urgent need to defend integrity in public life. The future of our democracy depends on it.
