Obasanjo’s Secret Move: How His 2018 Coalition Breathed Life Into ADC

In May 2018, former President Olusegun Obasanjo shook Nigeria’s political landscape when his Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM) officially adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its political vehicle to challenge then-President Muhammadu Buhari in the lead-up to the 2019 general elections.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The declaration, made at a press conference on May 10, 2018, was attended by Obasanjo, former Osun State governor and CNM co-convener Olagunsoye Oyinlola, and several key political figures.

During the event, Obasanjo positioned the CNM as a non-partisan movement aimed at “rescuing” Nigeria from what he described as the “plague of poor governance” under Buhari’s administration.

He stated:

“Let me begin by commending the emergence of a renewed and revitalized African Democratic Congress, ADC, as a political platform. Since CNM’s inception, numerous registered political parties have engaged with us on possible alliances. After careful deliberation, the movement’s leadership has resolved to adopt ADC as its platform for driving meaningful political and governance reforms in Nigeria.”

Echoing Obasanjo’s position, Oyinlola praised ADC’s progressive credentials, describing the merger as a strategic endorsement of the party’s clean track record and reformist agenda.

“Our decision to align with ADC is a testament to the party’s integrity and progressive ideals,” Oyinlola said. “This fusion marks the first step in a broader effort to return Nigeria to its people, who have long been denied responsive leadership.”

However, the alliance proved short-lived. By August 2018—barely three months after the high-profile adoption—fissures appeared within the ranks. A faction of the CNM broke away from the ADC and unveiled a new party, the New African Democratic Congress (N-ADC).

Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, the interim national chairman of the splinter group, Precious Elekima, cited ADC’s decision to join the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) without consulting CNM stakeholders as the main reason for their exit.

Elekima criticized ADC’s alliance with CUPP—a coalition of 36 opposition parties, including the PDP and Reformed APC (R-APC)—as a betrayal of Obasanjo’s call to reject both the APC and PDP, the two dominant parties he believed had failed Nigeria.

“We pulled out because the ADC leadership joined CUPP without stakeholder engagement,” Elekima said. “This action runs counter to Obasanjo’s appeal for a total departure from the old political order.”

Despite various coalition efforts and memoranda of understanding among opposition parties, the alliance under CUPP failed to dislodge Buhari, who secured a second term in office in the 2019 elections.