The African Democratic Congress, ADC, in Ogun State has dismissed reports that its Ogun East Senatorial District structure has collapsed into the All Progressives Congress, APC, in support of Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, describing  the claims as false and misleading.

DAILY POST reports that news circulated on Monday, alleging that the ADC Ogun East Senatorial District structure during the weekend decamped to the APC to work for the party’s gubernatorial candidate, Yayi.

Mr Erinle Opeoluwa, ADC Chairman in Ijebu North East, said the defectors chose to align with Yayi because they were weary of opposition politics, which he claimed had yielded no results for them in three election cycles, leaving many of them worse off in Ogun State.

DAILY POST gathered that Opeoluwa and nine other chairmen dumped ADC for APC.

The other individuals are Kazeem Adebanjo of Ijebu North LGA, Dehinsilu Olusegun of Ikenne LGA, Gbade Oluwasegun of Ijebu Ode Shittu Titilola of Ijebu East LGA; Omooba Kazeem of Sagamu LGA; Adegoroye Osubukola of Remo North LGA; Salisu Abdulwaheed of Odogbolu LGA; Ibidunni Adetola, ADC chieftain in Ijebu Ode; and Yemi Macauley, also an ADC chieftain in Ijebu Ode.  

Reacting on Monday, the ADC State Publicity Secretary, Olumide Onabajo, said the report did not reflect the true position in the party.

Onabajo insisted that the party remained “united, functional, and firmly committed to winning the forthcoming elections in the state,” stressing that no collapse of its structure has occurred in the Ogun East district.  

According to the party, the individuals reported to have joined the APC acted “strictly in their personal capacities” and their decisions do not amount to a collapse of the party’s structure.  

“We wish to state categorically that the report is false, misleading, and does not reflect the true position of our party. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Ogun East did not collapse its structure into the APC. The party remains united, functional, and firmly committed to win the forth coming elections in the state.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the individuals reported to have joined the APC acted strictly in their personal capacities. Their decisions do not represent the position of the African Democratic Congress, nor do they amount to a collapse of the party’s structure in Ogun East.

“While we acknowledge the constitutional right of every Nigerian to freedom of association, it is important to state that the decision of these individuals to defect does not constitute the collapse of the ADC structure in Ogun East Senatorial District,” Onabajo stated.  

He explained that a political party’s structure comprises constitutionally recognized leadership, executives, and organs at ward, local government, senatorial and state levels, “not merely individual members or chieftains”.

The spokesman added that ADC structures across the nine local government areas in Ogun East “remain intact, operational, and committed to strengthening the party ahead of the 2027 general elections”.

The ADC image maker accused those behind the report of deliberate misrepresentation intended to create “a false impression of political reality” in the senatorial district.  

He urged members, supporters, and the general public to disregard the narrative, saying the ADC “remains focused, united, and resolute in providing a credible alternative for the people of Ogun State”.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has said the outcome of the 2027 presidential election will be decided by Nigerians, not by the personal opinion of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

In a statement issued on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of focusing on comments made by Obasanjo about the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, instead of responding to growing concerns over the country’s economic situation.

The party said the election would be determined by the daily experiences of Nigerians under the current administration, particularly on issues such as the economy, insecurity and the rising cost of living.

According to the party, the APC turned attention to Obasanjo’s remarks after Catholic Bishops criticised the state of the nation during their recent meeting with President Bola Tinubu.

“The APC has become obsessed with our presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Instead of defending its record after the Catholic Bishops spoke about the state of the nation, it has chosen to use former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s comments to divert attention from its performance over the last three years,” Abdullahi said.

The ADC also accused the ruling party of attacking critics rather than addressing the issues they raise.

“Whenever respected Nigerians speak about worsening poverty, insecurity, the rising cost of living or the loss of public confidence, the APC does not answer for its record. Instead, it looks for someone to attack. Yesterday it was the Catholic Bishops, today it is Atiku Abubakar, tomorrow it will be someone else,” the statement said.

On Obasanjo’s remarks, the opposition party said the former president was entitled to his personal views but argued that such opinions could not erase Atiku’s record in government.

“During the administration in which Atiku Abubakar served as Vice President and Chairman of the National Economic Council, Nigeria experienced stronger economic growth, greater investor confidence and a more affordable cost of living than it does under the current administration,” the party said.

The party also challenged the Federal Government to explain why food prices continue to rise despite claims of economic growth, why more Nigerians have fallen into poverty, why unemployment remains high, why government borrowing has increased and why insecurity continues in many parts of the country.

The ADC insisted that these issues, rather than the views of any individual, would shape the choice Nigerians make in the next presidential election.

“The 2027 presidential election will not be determined by the opinion of any individual but by the daily realities of over 200 million Nigerians who, today, are poorer, face greater insecurity and are more uncertain about their future than they were before the Tinubu administration came into office,” the party said.