The formal adoption of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) by a coalition of opposition leaders signals what could be a defining moment for Nigeria’s democracy, but only if it is rooted in the lived realities of ordinary citizens.
Development Diaries report that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, former Senate President David Mark and other coalition leaders have officially adopted the ADC as the platform to spearhead President Bola Tinubu’s defeat in the 2027 election.
According to media reports, Mark and ex-Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola were announced as the interim National Chairman and Secretary of the ADC, respectively.
However, for it to truly resonate, the coalition must root its message in the lived experiences of everyday Nigerians.
For too long, political realignments in Nigeria have prioritised elite survival over public service, offering little more than reshuffled faces and recycled manifestos.
The hardship Nigerians currently face, from soaring inflation to deepening insecurity, cannot be addressed by cosmetic coalitions that speak only at press conferences and remain silent when communities cry out for leadership.
With over 133 million people classified as multidimensionally poor by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and unemployment among young people hovering at over 40 percent, political realignments that do not address bread-and-butter issues will be met with deep scepticism.
Citizens are not interested in elite power swaps, they want real answers to rising food prices and worsening insecurity.
If this newly formed ADC coalition is to earn public trust, it must move beyond anti-Tinubu rhetoric and present a clear, people-first development blueprint.
Voters are no longer impressed by political heavyweight lineups, they are looking for practical, grassroots-focused policies that address hunger, joblessness, insecurity, and poor education and health services.
The coalition must be ready to show, not just tell, how it plans to strengthen democratic institutions, restore public sector accountability, and close the widening trust gap between citizens and the government.
Nigerians have endured years of top-down governance where state capture, unchecked executive power, and weakened institutions have reduced their voices to background noise.
That must change. This coalition has an opportunity to drive a national conversation focused on rebuilding democratic values, restoring legislative independence, and protecting press freedom.
But to do so, it must centre everyday Nigerians, traders, teachers, farmers, and youth, in both its messaging and planning.
The promise of ‘a new beginning’ will mean little if it does not translate into better roads, safer schools, transparent budgeting, and justice for victims of insecurity.
Development Diaries therefore calls on the interim leadership of the ADC, particularly David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola, to release a clear roadmap with timelines, community engagement strategies, and sector-by-sector policy alternatives that citizens can interrogate and shape.
Political organising must now become public service, not just power-seeking. If this coalition truly believes Nigeria deserves better, it must start by earning the confidence of the people through action, not applause.
Photo source: Atiku Abubakar
