Lukman Warns ADC Leadership Against Godfatherism, Imposition Ahead of 2027 Elections

Former Director-General of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Salihu Lukman, has cautioned the national leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), led by Senator David Mark, against the rise of godfatherism and imposition within the party, warning that such tendencies threaten the party’s democratic integrity and long-term viability.

Lukman raised the alarm in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja titled “ADC and the Prospect of Internal Democracy”, where he criticised what he described as early signs of political manipulation and undemocratic behaviour among key stakeholders in the party.

According to him, some ADC leaders are already behaving as though the 2027 general elections will be an easy ride, a perception he said is fuelling a push to install loyalists and suppress internal democratic processes.

“When national leadership positions were zoned, coalition leaders who were only nominees in the negotiation process elevated themselves to zonal leaders, acting as if the 2027 elections were already won,” Lukman stated.

He acknowledged Senator David Mark’s role in facilitating the emergence of a new national leadership for the ADC but warned that many of the party’s opposition figures are already demonstrating the same negative behaviours that have plagued Nigerian politics for decades.

“The struggle to ensure that loyalists emerge as leaders of the reformed ADC is being prioritised above values such as intellectual capacity, integrity, track records, and wide acceptability,” Lukman said.

He warned that Nigerians would not be deceived by attempts to present a recycled political system under a new party name.

“With the current trajectory, coalition leaders are turning into godfathers, and their next move will be to impose their surrogates at all levels,” he said, describing this as the biggest test of Senator Mark’s leadership.

Lukman urged the party’s leadership to focus on building a professional, rule-based bureaucracy and generating sustainable internal funding, rather than depending on the personal resources of influential individuals.

He questioned whether the ADC would repeat the mistake of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which he said abandoned its manifesto once in power.

“What will be different with ADC? What steps will the new leadership take to produce a unified, credible manifesto? Or will candidates continue to run on personal manifestos detached from party ideology?” he queried.

He further stressed that the party must address internal administrative challenges, including the development of credible leadership at state, local government, and ward levels.

Using his home state of Kaduna as an example, he warned against a return to divisive politics driven by religion and ethnicity.

“In many states, former governors are already positioning themselves as godfathers. Leaders at the grassroots are being reduced to political appointees of these powerful figures. This must be resisted,” Lukman said.

He called on all political leaders within the ADC to engage inclusively, ensure mutual respect, and avoid exclusionary tactics in party building. He said the party must become “an equal opportunity platform at all levels.”

Despite his concerns, Lukman expressed optimism that the ADC could still become the envisioned model of internal democracy in Nigerian politics.

However, he issued a strong warning that the party must demonstrate significant progress within six months or risk becoming irrelevant in the 2027 elections.

“Senator David Mark must rise to the challenge and offer Nigerians a new model of political party management.

Failure to do so would mean that both the ADC and the coalition have failed — in which case, we must reconsider participating in the 2027 elections,” Lukman declared.

He concluded by expressing hope that the current leadership would act with urgency and integrity, saying, “May God strengthen the capacity of Senator Mark and his team to provide the needed leadership for us to succeed in making ADC the envisioned internally democratic party.”