Rumours have continued to circulate over the possible replacement of the Adamawa State governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Omar Suleiman.

Until last week, the rumour was that Suleiman, popularly known as Omrana, would be replaced by Abdulrahman Haske, a leading All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant ahead of the party’s primary, who was said to have defected to the ADC.

No sooner had the public learnt that Haske had returned to the APC than fresh rumours emerged over the weekend that one Alhaji Tukur Modibbo would now replace Omrana.

Addressing the rumours on Tuesday, a founding member of the ADC in Adamawa State, Suleiman Adamu Jimeta, described them as false and potentially damaging to the party.

He said the purported plan to bring in Tukur Modibbo, with some party stakeholders allegedly welcoming the idea and describing Modibbo as a better choice, was baseless, insisting that no such decision had been communicated through the appropriate channel.

“Omar Suleiman remains the party’s legitimate candidate and has worked tirelessly to earn the confidence and support of ADC members across the state,” Jimeta stated.

Describing the rumoured move as a recipe for confusion and internal division, he cautioned that it could severely weaken the party’s chances in the 2027 elections.

The Adamawa State chapter of the ADC had not issued any statement confirming any change to its governorship ticket as of the time of filing this report on Tuesday evening.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Dr George Agbakahi has said the opposition parties in Nigeria are too fragmented and disunited to pose a serious challenge to the ruling party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Agbakahi made the remarks during a current affairs programme on News Central Television on Tuesday.

He expressed confidence that the APC would secure a decisive victory in the next presidential election.

According to him, the outcome of elections in democratic societies is determined by several factors, including party structure, internal cohesion, candidates’ appeal, track record, and prevailing political and socio-economic realities.

“Politics is dynamic in every democratic election. Globally, there are variables that determine election outcomes, such as party structure, party unity, political dynamics in individual states, candidates’ appeal and their records of accomplishment,” he said.

The APC stalwart, who is also the Leader of the Tinubu Support Organisation (TSO) in the South-East, argued that party unity remained a major factor in electoral success, describing the APC as one of the most united political parties in Africa.

He said the party’s National Chairman, National Working Committee, NWC, governors and other stakeholders were working in harmony, unlike the opposition parties, which he described as divided and disintegrated.

“The APC leadership is working together with the governors and other party organs. 

“On the other hand, the opposition parties are divided, fragmented and disintegrated,” he stated.

Agbakahi dismissed claims that the APC was responsible for the internal crises rocking opposition parties, insisting that they were self-inflicted.

“It’s not true that APC is behind their problems. They are the architects of their own challenges,” he said.

He questioned why opposition figures opted to join existing political parties instead of building new platforms, arguing that the APC itself emerged in 2015 through the merger of political parties.

Speaking on the prospects of the opposition in 2027, Agbakahi maintained that the political landscape had changed significantly since the 2023 elections, adding that the APC had expanded its support base across the country, including in the South-East and South-South.

“It’s no longer like it was in the past. APC has made tremendous inroads across different regions. As long as the election is free, fair and credible, APC will win,” he said.

He said the ruling party would campaign on the achievements of President Bola Tinubu rather than engage in personal attacks against opponents.

According to him, Tinubu would seek re-election based on his record in office, including economic reforms, foreign reserves, foreign capital inflows, trade surplus and infrastructure development across the country.

He said, “I want to let you know that microeconomic fundamentals of the economy of this country are very strong. 

“The President, like I said, will run on $52 bn foreign reserves, $20 bn foreign capital inflow, a record of $50.8 foreign direct investment, a record of $18.67 bn trade surplus.”

He also referenced Tinubu’s record as former governor of Lagos State, saying it would further strengthen the President’s campaign.

Agbakahi further argued that the leading opposition figures were familiar faces in Nigerian politics and lacked fresh ideas capable of convincing the electorate.

“The opposition has no clear agenda or policy alternatives to present to Nigerians beyond constant criticism of the current administration. 

“Nigerians know them, and they are like old wine in a new bottle and no amount of rehabilitation would change Nigerians’ perception towards these opposition candidates,” he said.

He added that the Federal Government had demonstrated commitment to addressing insecurity through increased funding for the defence sector, noting that the Ministry of Defence received a record budgetary allocation of about N5.41 trillion under the current administration.

The APC chieftain expressed optimism that the party would retain power in 2027, insisting that its achievements in governance and internal cohesion would give it a significant advantage over its political rivals.