The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has clarified that no presidential aspirant will receive an automatic ticket for the 2027 elections, stressing that all contenders must follow the party’s selection process.

Speaking on a national television broadcast yesterday, ADC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi addressed growing speculation about the party’s prospective standard bearer, noting the surge of defections, coalition negotiations, and political intrigues surrounding the party.

Abdullahi emphasized that no decision has yet been made regarding who will fly the party’s flag, affirming that all aspirants remain eligible. “No conversation is going on at the moment about who will be the standard bearer or who will be running mate to whom. Every single issue has not been resolved regarding who will represent the party in 2027,” he said.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, who officially joined the ADC last week, are widely believed to be eyeing the presidential ticket. While the Atiku camp has remained publicly silent on his intentions, Obi’s supporters, organized under the Obidient Movement, declared that he would not accept a subordinate position.

Dr. Yinusa Tanko, National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, said Obi remains the leading aspirant within the party and “will never accept to be running mate to anyone.”

Abdullahi explained that the party’s initial plan is to adopt a consensus approach to select its standard bearer, aimed at building a broad-based, winning coalition. “When that time comes, our first recourse will be to try to engineer a measure of consensus based on the challenges ahead. We are building a coalition, and we are building a winning coalition,” he added.

He further stressed that if a consensus cannot be reached, the ADC would conduct open, competitive, and transparent primaries. “If consensus fails, we will hold competitive primaries. It will be free, open, and transparent, and Nigerians will see that ADC is a party of rules, transparency, and adherence to its own regulations,” Abdullahi said.

The question of Obi’s ambition has generated contrasting opinions. While Tanko insisted that Obi will not accept the position of running mate, Presidential Adviser on Policy Communication Daniel Bwala predicted that Obi could be sidelined from both the ticket and the running mate slot. Bwala suggested that Obi may eventually pursue the presidency through another platform.

Obi, who previously ran under the crisis-plagued Labour Party (LP) in 2023, formally defected to the ADC last week. During his reception into the party in Enugu by Interim National Chairman Senator David Mark, Obi cited national unity as a key motivation for joining the ADC.

The Labour Party’s Anambra chapter responded to Obi’s defection by asserting that his exit would neither weaken the party nor leave a gap that members would mourn.

ADC’s statements underscore the party’s commitment to a structured, rule-based process for selecting its presidential candidate, signalling that neither high-profile defection nor political clout guarantees the 2027 ticket.

The party has reiterated that the ultimate decision will balance coalition-building, democratic principles, and adherence to party laws, ensuring transparency and inclusivity in its presidential selection process.

This clarification comes amid growing national speculation and media commentary on how the entry of Atiku and Obi might reshape Nigeria’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 elections.