2027: ADC mounts pressure on Aregbesola to contest for President

By Omolade Adegbuyi

A section of the newly formed African Democratic Congress, (ADC) is asking former Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola to contest the 2027 Presidential race.

Irohinoodua was informed that the pressure group within the ADC is being led by a powerful Northern lobby group within the coalition.

Aregbesola who was also the Minister of Interior, was an ally of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu before their agelong relationship became sour.

Our correspondent was informed that the pressure group had met Aregbesola twice telling him to throw his hat into the ring.
‘Pressure is being mounted on Aregbesola to contest the 2027 Presidential election. It is true.

The influential group met Aregbesola twice. They want him to be the flag bearer of the ADC,’ the source who does not wish to be named told Irohinoodua. The ADC may have considered the fact that picking a candidate from the North could be problematic while the only way to ensure Tinubu does not pick his successor would be to support Aregbesola at least for one term after which the North would then present her own candidate.

Another source said the ADC is exploring the strength and opportunities associated with Aregbesola: His versatility in South West political affairs, his revolutionary oratory, energy, age, his network with the human rights community in the South West and across Nigeria and his strong alliance with the Pan Yoruba groups who in reality represent the most forceful cultural and social formations in South West territories.

Another ADC top member in Kaduna told our correspondent that Aregbesola if picked as the Presidential candidate ‘can electrify the country’ and turn the table against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
‘Yes, I can confirm to you that a very strong group in the ADC wants Aregbesola as the Presidential candidate. He is respected within the labour movement.

He actually worked with labour in the past and we understand he is the most respected figure by the Pan Yoruba groups. He can turn the campaign into a revolutionary movement. That is our thinking.

Coming from the South West is a huge advantage’, he told Irohinoodua. He said the South West in reality has the largest number of voters but that the turn out to register to vote and also to come out of voting day has always been very poor.
‘We are doing a research on voters’ apathy in the South West. If the ADc can lead the movement for mass registration and mass voting in the South West, the ADC will shake the country in the coming Presidential election,’ he said.
Observers think picking Aregbesola may have certain implications: His choice would polarise the South West given his network within the Pan Yoruba groups being a founding member of O’odua Youth Movement, (OYM) established in 1994 and the Campaign for Democracy, (CD), which was the most formidable anti-military coalition in the 1990s.

Again, his choice would divide the Muslim voters making it difficult for Tinubu to use his faith as a mobilising peg ahead the 2027 election, yet the dwindling economic fortunes of Nigeria, growing poverty rate, poor networking of the Presidency with the social and cultural groups in the South West and the isolation of traditional institutions in the South West are expected to work to the advantage of Aregbesola.

However, there are unforeseen consequences. The President Tinubu’s votes will certainly be drastically reduced, this may not automatically lead to Aregbesola’s victory, but sure to create either a defeat, a more difficult road to victory for Tinubu or an outright stalemate. Aregbesola’s emergence as ADC Presidential candidate may also strengthen the assumed Labour Party Presidential candidate, Peter Obi at least in Lagos with Tinubu and Aregbesola sharing the votes from the same traditional stronghold. If the Governor of Oyo State Seyin Makinde emerges as the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), the chances of Tinubu in the South West becomes even narrower.
When contacted, the General Secretary, Alliance for Yoruba Democratic Movements, (AYDM), the largest coalition of 130 Pan Yoruba groups, Mr Popoola Ajayi said none of the 2027 Presidential candidates has contacted the coalition.

There are concerns that if Aregbesola accepts to run as the ADC Presidential candidate, what then would be the fate of the serial aspirant, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar? Keen observers claim that Atiku is unlikely to yield grounds while others argue that if the emergence of Aregbesola would unsettle the All Progressives Congress, (APC), a major mission of Atiku and his soulmates, Mallam El-Rufai and former Minister for Justice, Malami to stop Tinubu, Atiku would not mind to drop his ambition.
‘No one has spoken to us ahead of 2027.

We are going to weight the options and then take a decision on who to support. Both Aregbesola and President Tinubu are not strangers to us. When the time comes, we shall cross the bridge,’ the AYDM official said.
In accepting the position of interim General Secretary of the ADC, Aregbesola had said ‘a political party is not a platform for opportunism. It is not a mere vehicle to power for the few, nor a tool for personal ambition. A political party, in its truest form is a living institution built on values, guided by ideals and accountable to the people it seeks to serve.’