Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mr. Ibrahim Mani, has addressed the growing controversy surrounding the recent coalition of opposition parties, dismissing criticism from political opponents and affirming that the coalition is gaining strong grassroots momentum, particularly in northern Nigeria.

Speaking in a recent interview, Mani revealed that the ADC has opened a new party secretariat in Niger State and is steadily taking over political structures across the region. He noted that although some opponents have dismissed these developments, the facts on the ground indicate widespread public interest and increasing membership.

“There is no doubt that a lot has happened within the last couple of days,” Mani stated. “Taking over structures is a gradual process, but it is already evident. People are joining the ADC in large numbers. In fact, we’ve had to host our website three times in one week because of the massive traffic from people trying to register.”

Mani described the ADC’s strategy as a bottom-up approach to building a new political force that Nigerians can believe in. He attributed the party’s growing popularity to widespread public dissatisfaction with the current state of the country.

“Nigerians are waiting for a credible alternative,” he said. “There is a lot of suffering in the country, and when people see a sign that something positive could happen, they naturally gravitate towards it. That’s exactly what we are experiencing in the ADC.”

Responding to comments made by YPP Chairman Dennis Macri, who labeled members of the opposition coalition as “political party mongers,” and to remarks by Senator Shehu Sani questioning the trustworthiness of the coalition members, Mani dismissed the criticisms as baseless attacks.

“People can go around saying all sorts of bunkum and trash about what we are doing, but the reality on the ground is what matters,” Mani said. “If we were irrelevant, we wouldn’t be seeing such jittery reactions from the government. The resistance we’re facing shows we are making real progress.”

He emphasized that the opposition coalition is composed of serious political actors determined to change the direction of the country. According to him, Nigerians should judge the coalition not by propaganda but by its structure, plans, and the sincerity of its mission.

Mani concluded by reaffirming the ADC’s commitment to working with other progressive forces to create a viable political alternative ahead of the 2027 general elections.