•Oserheimen Osunbor
Former Edo State governor, Oserheimen Osunbor, has described the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as the most credible platform to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.
He insisted the party offers Nigerians hope for better governance.
His comments come amid growing political realignments and early positioning by parties and politicians ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking last night on Channels Television on recent political developments and defections involving the party, Osunbor dismissed concerns over members leaving the ADC, saying more politicians are joining the party than exiting.
“There are more people joining the ADC than those leaving. That should give you cause to be happy,” he said.
“There is freedom of association, but if at the end of the day there is net gain rather than net loss, we should be satisfied. We don’t have any right to tie anybody down.”
The former governor said the ADC remains a viable political vehicle for anyone seeking to contest the presidency in 2027, stressing that Nigeria urgently needs a leadership reset.
“It offers the best option to rescue Nigeria, to reintroduce good governance in Nigeria because nothing will work unless the leadership recruitment structure is gotten right,” he stated.
According to Osunbor, the country’s democratic institutions must be strengthened and allowed to operate independently if meaningful progress is to be achieved.
“Unless democratic institutions are allowed to function as they should, unless the laws and regulations and due process are followed, we will continue to sink deeper into the morass of underdevelopment,” he said.
He further alleged that some of the legal troubles confronting the party were politically motivated and aimed at destabilising the opposition.
“The legal problems confronting the ADC are orchestrated. I just gave you an example of somebody who was already out of the ADC for a long time, but he was encouraged to stay there and scatter them, fight them,” Osunbor claimed.
According to Osunbor, many Nigerians are worried about what he described as executive interference in institutions of state, particularly the judiciary.
“What bothers Nigerians is executive interference and the judiciary,” he said.
Responding to criticism that the ADC is made up of politicians who have previously held office without delivering results, Osunbor defended members of the party.
“Name anybody in ADC who is as bad, who is as corrupt or who is as vile as those in APC,” he said.
“If you tell me one corrupt person in ADC, I can show you ten in APC. There is no perfection in this world. Because if we are bad, we are not as bad as the APC.”
