Speculation regarding the 2027 general elections reached a fever pitch in July 2025 after a viral report claimed that Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi had officially collapsed their respective political structures into a new entity called the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to oppose the ruling APC. The report featured photos of both leaders in a supposed “signing ceremony” and claimed that a new logo had been registered with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
INEC has clarified that while political parties are free to merge under the law, it has not received any formal application for a merger involving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) under the banner of the ADC. Furthermore, the ADC is an already existing political party and not a new creation of these two leaders. Spokespersons for both Atiku and Obi have also described the report as “premature and speculative,” stating that while consultations between opposition figures are a normal part of democracy, no such merger has been finalized.
Political analysts believe the fake news was an attempt to test public reaction to a potential coalition. The photos used in the viral posts were traced back to a private meeting held in early 2024. The public is urged to disregard any announcements regarding political mergers that do not originate from the official secretariats of the parties involved or from INEC’s verified communication channels.
