Mar 29 2026

The National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Bolaji Abdullahi, has called for a restructuring of Nigeria’s political system, emphasising the need for inclusive party leadership and renewed public confidence in governance.

Abdullahi, a former Minister of Youth Development and Sports under former President Goodluck Jonathan, made these remarks during an interview on Arise Television on Saturday, March 28, 2026.

Reflecting on the evolution of political parties in Nigeria, Abdullahi stated, “Don’t forget, many of us came from somewhere.” He added, “So the experience of where we’re coming from, look at the PDP. It has been hollowed out completely.”

Describing the former ruling party, he said, “That’s one of the greatest parties Nigeria ever had. But it’s been hollowed out and it’s no longer, you know.” He continued by outlining the rationale behind current political efforts, stating, “So we are saying that something drove us here.”

Abdullahi emphasised the need for systemic reform, saying, “And for us to begin to rebuild the Nigerian political system, for the people to begin to believe again, that something good can come out of politics, we have to build a real political party that is ready to deliver something to the people.”

Responding to a question on whether the president should serve as the national leader of a political party, Abdullahi rejected the idea. He stated, “The president cannot be.” He further explained, “You see, it’s an aberration. It’s a recent aberration. The president cannot be.”

Highlighting the structure within the ADC, he said, “In ADC, ask any ADC member today, who is the leader of this party? They can’t answer that question.”

When asked about perceptions linking leadership to former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, Abdullahi responded, “No, no, no. Anybody that says that doesn’t know ADC.”

He elaborated on the party’s structure, stating, “At the national level, at the state level, you cannot point at any state today and say, oh, this person is the leader of this party in this state.”

Addressing funding within the party, Abdullahi said, “And that’s the interesting thing. You don’t have a financier of the party.” He added, “You have people pulling resources together.”

He concluded by explaining the party’s leadership model, stating, “And that’s why we don’t have a leader in any state. We have leadership. It is deliberately designed to be so.

Naija news channel