Popular socio-political activist, Aisha Yesufu, has said that only Nigerians, not politicians, must decide who becomes the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Her statement comes amid growing cracks within the newly-formed opposition alliance, which was created to challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's re-election bid.
Top politicians from both the North and South, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and former Senate President David Mark, have all pledged to unite under the ADC coalition to unseat the Tinubu-led administration.
However, the coalition is already showing signs of internal division as key contenders battle for the ADC's 2027 presidential ticket.
Taking to her X (formerly Twitter) page on Saturday, Yesufu wrote:
"The people must be the decider of who becomes the coalition candidate and not the politicians!"
Her comment comes as reports of power struggles among coalition leaders continue to dominate headlines, with Amaechi, Peter Obi, and Atiku battling for the party's presidential ticket.
Amaechi, during an interview on Channels TV's Politics Today, officially declared his intention to run for president under the ADC coalition.
He pledged to serve only one term if elected, saying power must return to the South to maintain political balance, while accusing Tinubu's government of worsening the suffering of ordinary Nigerians.
Meanwhile, Obi's 2023 running mate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, has rejected any arrangement that would position Obi as a vice-presidential candidate again.
Speaking on Arise TV, Datti argued that Obi, who secured over 10 million votes in the last election, deserves to lead the coalition.
Although Obi has not resigned from the Labour Party, his active involvement in ADC coalition activities has fueled speculation that he might contest under the new platform.
Atiku, on his part, has not made a formal declaration but has openly hinted at running.
He vowed to tackle corruption head-on if elected.
"I swear to God, if elected, whoever engages in corruption will be punished - we will declare war against them," Atiku promised.
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