Dino Melaye Says ADC Will Produce Candidate to Unseat Tinubu in 2027

Former Kogi lawmaker, Dino Melaye, has declared that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) will present a viable presidential candidate capable of defeating President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.

Melaye made this known during an appearance on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television aired on Friday.

“Those of us in the ADC need to create a comfortable, stable platform. And I believe that platform will produce a candidate that will unseat President Ahmed Bola Tinubu in 2027,” he said.

However, Melaye added that discussions around who the presidential candidate should be would only take place after the party is properly stabilised.

“But I have made it a point of duty that I will not be talking about a presidential candidate or aspirant or preference for anybody until we get the party completely stabilised and organise a transparent convention that will produce a presidential candidate of the ADC who, by the grace of God, will kick,” he stated.

His comments follow the formation of an opposition coalition on July 2, which adopted the ADC as its common political platform. The coalition includes influential political figures such as Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar, Nasir El-Rufai, Rotimi Amaechi, and Melaye himself. Their goal is to unite under one banner to challenge the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the next presidential race.

Despite doubts from critics and APC loyalists—including former APC National Secretary Iyiola Omisore—who argue that the coalition may collapse due to internal rivalries and ambitions for the presidency, Melaye remains optimistic.

He described the ADC as a “national altar call,” attracting Nigerians who are moved by conscience and determined to rescue the country from its current state.

“Why Nigerians should think differently about the ADC is that once there’s an altar call in the church of God—only those who are emotionally affected, have conscience, and are ready to leave darkness and move into light respond. So, ADC is a national altar call,” he said.

“Not everybody in ADC is a saint, but what I’m telling you is that everybody who moved into ADC is concerned about Nigeria. We want to see a Nigeria where we’ll be able to answer questions from our grandchildren who will ask us, when we’re 90 and toothless: ‘When Nigeria was being destroyed, Grandpa, what did you do?’ We want to be able to say we did A, B, C, and D,” Melaye added.

In a further show of strength, the party’s founder, Ralph Nwosu, in July presented ADC membership cards to former Senate President David Mark and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola. Both men were announced as the interim national chairman and secretary of the coalition, respectively.