A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dele Momodu, has urged President Bola Tinubu to base his 2027 re-election campaign on the performance of his administration rather than political propaganda. He argued that Nigerians would judge the president by his record in office, not by campaign rhetoric.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Momodu said there was no personal hostility towards Tinubu, insisting that what voters want to see are tangible achievements that have improved their lives. He maintained that if the administration has delivered on its promises, presenting a credible scorecard should be enough to convince Nigerians to support another term.

Momodu also advised members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to focus on highlighting the government’s accomplishments instead of engaging in political attacks against opponents. According to him, the electorate is more interested in governance outcomes than partisan exchanges.

The veteran journalist questioned the APC’s continued practice of blaming previous administrations for the country’s challenges after spending more than three years in office. He argued that Nigerians now expect solutions and measurable progress rather than explanations about inherited problems.

His comments come as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general election, with parties and prospective candidates positioning themselves for what is expected to be another highly contested presidential race.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rejected the 2027 presidential nomination of former President Goodluck Jonathan submitted by the Kabiru Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), citing non-compliance with its candidate nomination procedures.

The electoral commission maintained that only a legally recognised party leadership with authorised access to INEC’s electronic candidate nomination portal can validly submit candidates for elections. Since the Turaki-led group is not recognised by the commission, its manual submission of Jonathan’s nomination was not accepted.

Despite the rejection, the Turaki faction insisted it had complied with the Electoral Act by manually submitting Jonathan’s name along with those of its governorship, National Assembly and state assembly candidates. The group also argued that it resorted to manual submission after INEC allegedly denied it access to the nomination portal and disclosed that it has appealed a recent court ruling relating to the PDP leadership dispute.

Meanwhile, the officially recognised PDP leadership dismissed the submission as “illegal and worthless,” stressing that only candidates nominated by the party’s recognised national leadership can be accepted by INEC. The leadership dispute within the opposition party continues to generate uncertainty ahead of preparations for the 2027 general election.

The development represents another twist in the PDP’s internal crisis, with the final outcome expected to depend on pending court decisions and INEC’s recognition of the party’s legitimate leadership.

Former National Vice Chairman (North-West) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Lukman, has explained that his decision to suspend his membership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) was driven by what he described as persistent hostility and frustration within the party.

Lukman said he could no longer endure what he termed “painful hostile treatment,” particularly from former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and some political associates. According to him, he had been repeatedly sidelined in key decisions concerning the party’s leadership and structure in Kaduna State despite his efforts to strengthen the opposition coalition.

He maintained that his decision was not a protest against the national leadership of the ADC but a response to what he viewed as sustained political marginalisation at the state level. Lukman added that remaining inactive was preferable to continuing in an environment where his contributions were no longer valued.

The former APC chieftain also expressed concern that some leaders within the coalition were beginning to replicate the same political practices they had previously criticised, warning that such actions could weaken the ADC ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Lukman stressed that he would use the period away from active party politics to reflect on his next political steps, while expressing appreciation to ADC National Chairman David Mark and other national leaders for their efforts. His announcement has added to growing discussions about internal cohesion within the opposition coalition.