National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress, Rauf Aregbesola, has outlined reasons behind the party’s poor performance in recent elections, admitting that internal challenges and external pressures contributed to its losses.
Speaking on Tuesday at the party’s ongoing national convention, Aregbesola said the ADC’s inability to secure victories in the November 25 Anambra State governorship election and the February 26 Federal Capital Territory (FCT) area council polls was due to a combination of factors.
According to him, the party struggled with inadequate funding and an underdeveloped political structure, which weakened its competitiveness against more established rivals.
“Our party participated in the 2025 Anambra governorship election and the February 26 FCT local government polls, but we were not successful for several reasons,” Aregbesola stated.
“On one hand, our opponents used the power of incumbency, money politics, and state influence. On the other hand, we faced issues of poor funding and lack of readiness within our structure.”
The former governor acknowledged that the party’s organizational capacity fell short during the elections, noting that building a strong grassroots presence and mobilization network remains a critical challenge for the ADC.
He also pointed to external factors, accusing rival parties of leveraging incumbency advantage and engaging in excessive monetisation of the electoral process. According to him, the misuse of state power further tilted the playing field against smaller political parties.
Despite the setbacks, Aregbesola expressed optimism about the party’s future, stating that the experiences have provided valuable lessons that will guide its strategy moving forward. He said the ADC is already taking steps to strengthen its internal systems and improve its readiness for upcoming contests.
The party, he noted, is now focused on repositioning itself ahead of the next round of governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states, where it hopes to perform better by addressing the shortcomings identified in previous polls.
Political observers say the ADC’s performance reflects broader challenges faced by smaller parties in Nigeria’s political landscape, where dominance by major parties often makes it difficult for emerging platforms to gain traction.
In the FCT Area Council elections, the All Progressives Congress secured five out of the six available seats, while the Peoples Democratic Party won the remaining seat, further underscoring the dominance of the two major political parties.
Aregbesola’s remarks highlight the need for strategic reforms within the ADC as it seeks to become a more formidable force in future elections. As preparations begin for upcoming contests, the party’s ability to address funding gaps, strengthen its structure, and counter external challenges will likely determine its prospects at the polls.
