Former Minister, Dalung, handled Kachikwu for the comments of ADC ‘Backdoor’

A former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, has rejected the claim that the opposition coalition hijacked the African Democratic Congress (ADC), insisting that the legal process was followed in the transition of the party to the new leadership.

Dalung made a clarification on Thursday during the interview at Channels Television Timetime Politics, in response to the charges by Dumebi Kachikwu, the 2023 ADC Presidential Candidate, who accused the coalition leaders aside the party stakeholders and involved “through the back door.”

According to Kachikwu, the coalition, which was officially launched on Wednesday in Abuja, did not have legitimacy and was encouraged by people whose term of office or affiliated with the party had expired. He chose the former ADC chairman Ralph Nwosu, accused that his term had long passed and therefore did not have the authority to hand over the party structure.

“The way they came – through the back door – showed you who they were,” Kachikwu said during a separate interview about today’s politics. “People who destroy Nigeria cannot claim to be the person who fixes it.”

However, Dalung strongly denied these claims, maintaining that coalition talks have been going on for more than 18 months and not a product of unilateral decisions. He explained that the ADC’s main stakeholder, including the Chairperson of the Party Supervisory Board and members of the National Work Committee (NWC), was present at the opening, validating the legitimacy of the process.

“The Chairperson of the Party Supervisory Board was present. So, it was not piracy because party members were there, and the coalition elements were there to witness the transition of leadership,” Dalung said.

He added that other NWC members had voluntarily resigned from their position and were also present at the event, further underlines the internal consensus who guided the handover.

“If Mr. Kachikwu does not know this development, maybe it’s because he has not yet been related to the internal dynamics of the party that develops. The term ‘piracy’ may have been used for emotional attractiveness rather than factual representation,” Dalung said.

The opposition coalition, consisting of political heavyweight such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi from the Labor Party, former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai, former Rotimi Rotimi Amaechi Governor, and PDP Chief Dele Momodu, have chosen ADC as the platform in front of the 2027 General Election.

At the opening ceremony in Abuja, former Senate President David Mark was announced as the temporary national chairman of the ADC. Conversely, former Minister of Home Affairs and former Governor Osun Rauf Aregbesola was appointed as a temporary secretary. The event also marked the official handover of the party by the former Chairman of Ralph Nwosu.

Mark, in his acceptance speech, stated that the coalition “in the mission to save Nigeria and rebuild democracy,” a sentiment echoed by many people who condemned the country’s economic and social difficulties under the current government.

While Kachikwu continued to refute the legitimacy of the coalition, Dalung stressed that there was an institutional continuity and stakeholder support behind the new leadership structure.

“As someone who personally knows Ralph Nwosu as the party leader for many years, I can confirm that his decision to move is based on reflections considered from the party’s future. ADC not only changes hands; but also develops,” Dalung said.

The formation of the coalition came in the midst of public growth which was getting bigger over economic difficulties under the government of President Tinubu. This new block seeks to offer a formidable alternative to the decision of all Progressives (APC) in the 2027 election.