ADC LEADER SALIHU LUKMAN: 2027 PRESIDENTIAL TICKET MUST BE EARNED, NOT GIFTED

Salihu Lukman, former Director General of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and a key leader within the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has declared that the emerging opposition coalition will select its 2027 presidential flag bearer through a transparent, democratic primary—regardless of the aspirant’s stature.
Lukman, speaking on Tuesday, July 8th said the ADC aims to avoid past pitfalls that fractured the opposition in 2023, where both Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi ran separate campaigns. “The only way to defeat the APC in 2027 is through a united front,” he said, urging supporters of various aspirants, including Obi and Atiku, to embrace a shared mission.
He emphasized that there is currently no discussion on presidential candidacy, saying, “That will come later. For now, our priority is building a platform that earns public trust and subordinates personal ambition to national interest.”
Lukman criticized the APC’s leadership model, calling it “monarchic” and vowed that the coalition would not replicate a culture of arrogance. “We must resist setting up leaders as emperors. It must be about members guiding the party, not the other way around.”