By Patrick Titus
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has registered its presence in Akwa Ibom State to claim political power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) with unveiling/hoisting of the party flag amidst sea of supporters.
The ceremony which took yesterday in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, drew together the coalition leaders made up of former governorship candidates, state and chapter chairmen of other political parties, women and youth groups, and other stakeholders across the state.
Various speakers at the event described ADC as an alternative political party that has come with a clear vision to rescue the sufferings Akwa Ibom people and indeed Nigerians from the shackles of misrule and hardship allegedly caused by the current government at all levels in the country.
According to them, ADC emerged to offer alternative platform for the electorate to make choices and elect seasoned but credible leaders into political offices nationwide.
Senator John James Udoedehe, the coalition leader, in his speech, insisted that Nigerians must never be trapped in a one-party system, warning that democracy without alternatives is a dangerous road to unrest.
“When opportunities for participation are denied, societies become restless. For democracy to thrive, there must be room for contest and alternatives,” he opined.
Going through memory lane, he said his 2009 statement that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) would not become “our Egypt” had been vindicated, just as earlier claim that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would never govern, had proven false. He argued that Nigerians now stood at another turning point that demanded bold choices.
ADC State Chairman, Mr. Duke John, welcoming the teeming crowd, carpeted the current government led by All Progressives Congress, alleging misrule and socio-economic hardship that crippled the well-being of Nigerians in spite of the commonwealth.
“Citizens are bleeding under policies that enrich only the few while millions sink deeper into poverty. Rice has become a luxury, thousands of graduates roam the streets without jobs, and yet positions are shared among cronies,” Dike cried out.
He said public funds meant for schools, hospitals and local government projects were being diverted, while electricity tariffs had jumped from ₦120 to ₦1,000 without improved supply. He maintained that the ADC had a clear roadmap for a people-centred and infrastructure driven government, urging citizens to “stand firm, remove a government of hopelessness and take back power to the people as 2027 approaches”.
Assuring Akwa Ibom State people, Hon. Duke added, “We are gathered here not just to wave a flag or to take photographs but to send a clear and unshakeable message that democracy in Akwa Ibom and in Nigeria must be reclaimed, renewed, and be re-anchored to the will of the people.
“For too long, our nation has struggled under the weight of politics that serves the powerful few instead of the suffering many. For families across Nigeria face hardship daily. Inflation is biting harder, jobs are scarce, insecurity haunts our communities and our young people are leaving the country in despair, searching for opportunities that should be here at home.
“Here in Akwa Ibom, a state blessed with oil, gas, fertile land, and brilliant people, poverty still grips too many families. Our youths, instead of being empowered, are too often ignored or manipulated. Women who carry the strength of our society, are sidelined from decision-making. Communities that should thrive are left behind,” Dike stated.
ADC’s ideology, he added, “is eclectic, pragmatic, meaning we do not cling to empty dogmas. We take the best of ideas, left or right, and apply them with wisdom to the real problems of our people.”
On his part, the Assistant National Organising Secretary, (South-South), Dr. Ben Smith, drew parallel lines between the suffering of the children of Israel and the current plight of millions of Nigerians and Akwa Ibomites.
He asserted that God has heard the cries of the people and sent the ADC as a means of deliverance. “The ADC as a Party that is God’s solution, a platform where people can choose their own governor and delegates, free from the influence of ‘godfathers,” he said.
In their separate remarks, the party’s youth and woman leaders, Edidiong Ekpe and Hon. Juliet Amba respectively, called on supporters to work together to bring positive change.
Re-echoing the theme of the event, “Reclaiming Democracy & Empowering the People,” they pledged their commitment to the party’s progress and vowed to remove any leader who does not work for the interest of the masses.
Other highlights at the ceremony were the unveiling/hoisting of the ADC flag by the State Chapter Chairman, Hon. Duke Dike.
