•Solomon Dalung
Former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, is one of the national coordinators of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). In this interview, Dalung discusses the current political climate in Nigeria, the state of the ADC ahead of 2027, the zoning of the presidency to the South by the APC and PDP and allegations of northern marginalisation, among other key issues, reports Saturday Tribune.
Excerpts:
There is a growing view among Nigerians that the ADC has failed to articulate a strong ideology or explain what it aims to achieve for Nigeria. What is your stance on this?
Well, I think it’s a good thing that Nigerians are beginning to ask, “What does the ADC stand for?” You see, anyone who has been scammed or defrauded before, like by a 419, will always ask questions when they sense something suspicious. I’m glad Nigerians are becoming more inquisitive. If they weren’t asking these questions now, I’d be concerned. It would suggest people had given up. So, their curiosity is a healthy development.
Let me respond this way: every political party has a manifesto. The ADC will confront the APC during the elections with the presentation of ours. But elections haven’t started, and neither have campaigns. At the appropriate time, we will formally present to Nigerians what we stand for and what we intend to do differently.
However, even now, if you look at the composition of the ADC’s National Working Committee and the caliber of individuals involved, it sends a clear message that it won’t be business as usual. The structure of our leadership reflects the social makeup of Nigeria. It includes women and youth, critical components of our democracy that have long been sidelined. That, in itself, is a significant step forward.
Though only restructured about a month ago, the ADC has already proven to be a viable opposition. We’ve been raising questions and challenging many of the APC’s actions. Since 2023, the APC has enjoyed a political honeymoon. No viable opposition has truly confronted them, until now.
Take the fuel subsidy removal, for instance. As I speak, the APC-led government has yet to account for the revenue generated or explain how it has been spent. But the ADC is speaking out. Even on the president’s recent trip, initially billed as a visit to Japan but which turned into a jamboree in Brazil, we have demanded answers. What value did the trip bring? In Japan, other nations proudly displayed their products and achievements. But Nigeria’s pavilion was empty. It was embarrassing. Do we have nothing to show? The answer is we have plenty. But this administration is simply unprepared for governance. The president isn’t representing the country, he is merely showcasing himself. It is all globe-trotting, nothing more.
But many Nigerians still see the ADC as a party in the “dressing room,” not yet fully accepted.
Of course! No political party arrives fully accepted. Every party must go through a process. And yes, we are in the dressing room, but should we have approached Nigerians naked?
The ADC is taking time to prepare and package itself. We came onboard two years before the election. Remember, the APC started even closer to an election. So, we have enough time to be fully ready before presenting ourselves to Nigerians. And I must commend the press. You are playing a vital role in holding us accountable and ensuring that, by the time we get on stage, we are well-dressed and prepared. That’s what democracy requires.
Are you not concerned that many strong figures who claim to be with the ADC have not formally resigned from their current political parties?
That is part of our strategy. No good general invites the enemy to inspect his armoury a day before battle. The ADC is full of surprises, and this will become one of the most interesting case studies in Nigerian political history.
I remember when we were mocked. The president once described an ADC gathering as a camp of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). He went to Makurdi, where he should have shown empathy, and instead made sarcastic political statements, mocking citizens’ suffering. But now, they have realised that the ADC is not an IDP camp; it is a political reality. And more surprises are coming. Before they understand what is happening, Tinubu may realise that by May 29, 2027, he should be preparing to return to Lagos.
Zoning is undoubtedly a critical issue in Nigerian politics. Since the inception of this democratic dispensation, major political parties have embraced it. The APC and PDP have already indicated they will zone the presidency to the South. What is the ADC’s position on this?
Now, in football, people say a good player capitalises on the opponent’s mistakes. If the APC and PDP are already zoning their presidential tickets, it means they are afraid of the ADC. But the ADC is a very organised political party. We have strong leadership, a National Working Committee and a caucus. These organs will soon meet to decide on zoning. We are not in a hurry.
Our immediate priority is addressing insecurity, hunger and poverty. That is what should be on the table, not zoning. Because if these issues are not addressed, will there even be Nigerians left in 2027 to talk about zoning?
The ADC is more concerned about the welfare of Nigerians. At the appropriate time, we will address zoning, but we will not be drawn into the drama of other political parties. We won’t join the APC and PDP in their macabre dance of shame.
The president should be talking about the 11 villages taken over by bandits in Bokkos. The APC should be addressing the massacre of Muslim worshippers in a mosque in Katsina, not zoning.
Human lives are more important than political zoning. The ADC sympathises with the people of Plateau, Katsina and Maiduguri who have suffered from attacks and bombings. We condemn the impunity of the APC and PDP, who are acting as though zoning is Nigeria’s most urgent problem. No. Let them provide food, fertiliser, security and a working economy. Then they can talk about zoning.
Quite a number of political personalities in the ADC have previously held positions of power: governors, ministers, etc. Nigerians are wondering what they accomplished back then that now gives them the courage to return and “rewrite” the system?
Well, who in the PDP hasn’t been in power? Who in the APC hasn’t? So, what gives them the moral right to remain in power?
It is the failure of both PDP and APC that has created the opening for others, even those who have served before, to step forward and offer an alternative. Their failures have given us the impetus to challenge the status quo.
But then, are we not just recycling leadership in Nigeria?
No, we are not recycling leadership; we are offering a new style of leadership.
Take a look at the National Working Committee of the ADC. It comprises experienced individuals. And when you are fighting bandits, you need experienced soldiers and policemen, not recruits straight from the academy. Otherwise, they will all be wiped out and the bandits will take over.
So, the people you call “recycled” are not the problem. These are individuals who feel they didn’t do enough the first time and are now ready to sacrifice themselves to clean up the mess, so that young people can take over afterwards. That is different from what the other parties are doing.
But isn’t this dissatisfaction coming from the North because they feel shortchanged by this administration?
I wouldn’t say they were shortchanged. What the North is saying is that they had a bargain with someone they believed to be trustworthy, maybe even godly. But now they have realised the man was a scammer. They are crying because they feel deceived.
I wouldn’t say they were shortchanged. I’d say they were scammed.
Scammed how?
They were scammed through the Muslim-Muslim ticket. Religion was used to gain their trust. They believed the government would be guided by Islamic values of justice, like those of the Prophet (peace be upon him), who was a just leader. So they expected justice for both Christians and Muslims.
But instead, the leader they trusted has now emerged as some kind of local chief priest. If you want justice now, your mother has to go to Lagos and marry someone there before you can get a government appointment.
If my own mother were alive today, I would have asked her to go marry someone in Lagos, just so I could get justice too.
Many people in Nigeria are skeptical of religion being used in politics
Exactly. That is why there is an outcry now. When someone shows you a picture and claims it is one thing, but you later discover it is something entirely different, you will cry. That is what is happening.
I opposed the Muslim-Muslim ticket and warned them. Now the president is afraid, because he used that ticket to deceive them. Look at what happened recently in Gombe, where stones were flying. That should tell you how angry and betrayed the people feel.
I have told my APC friends to start buying helmets now, because next year, helmets will be too expensive. And by 2027, they may not even find any to buy.
The kind of political rain that fell in Gombe, if it had been literal rain, would have produced an abundant harvest by now. But that was a storm of anger. It shows that if the APC doesn’t manage the situation wisely, the tension could escalate into a full-blown crisis.
