A breakaway faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has named Dumebi Kachikwu its presidential candidate for the 2027 elections, as reported by Leadership Newspaper.
The decision was reached Sunday at a National Convention in Abuja organized by the group under newly elected National Chairman Alhaji Abdulkadir Mohammed Bashir. The meeting took place a day before the Senator David Mark-led faction was set to conduct its own primary.
The party remains split over leadership, with the dispute still before the courts. For now, INEC recognizes the Mark-led ADC.
Kachikwu said he would focus his campaign on national unity, economic recovery, and inclusive governance. He described Nigeria as being at a defining moment and said the country needed leadership that could address insecurity, economic hardship, unemployment, and social division.
“For too long, politics has served a few while most Nigerians bear the cost. That has to change,” he said.
He pledged to push policies based on merit and competence, not ethnicity or political favoritism, and called on politicians to lay out clear plans for job creation, industrial growth, and sustainable development. Kachikwu also urged greater roles for women and young people in government, and said public officials should use the same public services as ordinary citizens to improve accountability.
Bashir said the crisis stemmed from efforts by some members to sideline democratic norms for personal control. He praised Kachikwu for avoiding escalation and said the party would work to rebuild itself as a credible opposition force.
New Board of Trustees Chairman Prof. Kingsley Ogga said the convention showed the party’s resilience and called on members to uphold fairness, inclusion, and internal democracy.
“Nigerians are watching. They are tired of politics driven by bitterness, greed, and division,” Ogga said.