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By SparkMedia Africa – July 2025
In a move that has sent political shockwaves across Nigeria, John Odigie-Oyegun, former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and ex-Governor of Edo State, has officially defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC)—a party many are now eyeing as a rising force ahead of the next general elections.
This isn’t just another defection. This is a master strategist returning to the battlefield—armed with experience, alliances, and a playbook that once unseated a sitting president.
The declaration came on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Benin City, the Edo State capital, where Oyegun publicly registered as a member of the ADC. His party membership card was handed to him by the ADC State Chairman, Kennedy Odion, amid cheers from party faithful and political observers.
For many, this development signals a serious realignment within Nigeria’s political ecosystem—and a potential turning point for 2027.
Speaking during the symbolic presentation of the card, Odion praised Oyegun’s coalition-building legacy. He referenced the historic political merger in 2013, which brought together various opposition parties to form the APC—a coalition that successfully ousted President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.
“He has put together what is called a coalition before, and he succeeded,” Odion said.
“So in mathematics, once you understand the formula, the answer is in view… Doing it again is not a difficult task.”
Odion emphasized that Oyegun’s strategic mind and political experience will be instrumental as ADC prepares for a broader coalition of like-minded political movements.
In his remarks, Oyegun revealed that the journey to the ADC was not rushed. He explained that he and his team engaged in consultations with at least seven political parties, weighing ideological clarity, structural readiness, and sincerity of purpose.
“We made a report and we said ADC. And some said, ‘No, no, no, you must still talk to this, you must still talk to that,’” Oyegun recalled.
“So we delayed the decision for another fortnight. At the end of our meeting, we still came back. I said, ‘Yes, what you asked us to do, we have done. But we have not seen a party as dedicated as the ADC.’”
This statement appears to confirm speculations that multiple opposition parties are exploring a fresh alliance—possibly a “Third Force”—to counter the ruling APC and a fragmented PDP ahead of the 2027 elections.
John Odigie-Oyegun’s move to the ADC is more than symbolic—it’s strategic. His history as a coalition architect and his new role in the ADC signal a possible restructuring of Nigeria’s political terrain.
Will the ADC become the new rallying point for opposition unity? Could Oyegun lead another coalition that reshapes Nigeria’s democratic destiny, just as he did a decade ago?
One thing is clear: with Oyegun now on the ADC frontline, 2027 may no longer be business as usual.
As the race for 2027 quietly begins, Nigeria’s political chessboard is shifting—and the ADC may have just secured its queen.
Stay with SparkMedia Africa for real-time updates, analyses, and behind-the-scenes developments on Nigeria’s evolving political terrain.
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