The African Democratic Congress has denied claims that it has relaxed its standards to welcome new members, as the party prepares for the 2027 general elections.
Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees, Ibrahim Mani, said the ADC remains focused on building a strong and credible opposition, and would not shut its doors to Nigerians who want to be part of the movement.
“A political party is an all-comers affair. You cannot categorise people who clearly have no criminal record,” Mani said on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday. “The law only bars people convicted by a competent court or those who are underage or not Nigerians.”
His comment comes amid criticism that the ADC has allowed just anyone to join, especially after its former chairman, Ralph Nwosu, announced the collapse of existing party structures to make way for new leadership.
Mani insisted that the party is not accepting everyone blindly but is focused on bringing together like-minded Nigerians who believe in democracy and want a real alternative to the ruling party.
“It doesn’t mean everybody comes in and achieves their political ambition. What we want is to build a party that becomes the face of the opposition in Nigeria. It will take time and effort,” he said.
He warned against allowing the country to slide into a one-party system and said that strengthening opposition parties like ADC is necessary for democracy to thrive.
“We’re seeing a massive influx of members. People are trooping into the party,” he said, adding that their website had crashed three times in one week due to high traffic from people trying to register online.
According to him, this is a clear sign that Nigerians are looking for better political options as the country struggles with economic hardship and governance challenges.
“People see a sign that something positive may happen, and they naturally move towards it,” he said.
The ADC has also attracted attention after being adopted by a new coalition backed by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. This group aims to stop President Bola Tinubu’s second term bid in 2027.
As part of its new leadership structure, former Senate President David Mark has been named interim National Chairman, ex-Governor of Osun State Rauf Aregbesola was appointed National Secretary, and Bolaji Abdullahi, a former sports minister, is now the interim National Publicity Secretary.
