ADC Gears Up For 2027 Poll With Nationwide Membership Drive

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Thursday formally commenced a nationwide membership registration exercise, unveiling a dual manual and online system as part of efforts to reposition the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The launch ceremony, held in Abuja, was attended by the party’s National Chairman, Senator David Mark; Chairman of the Registration Committee, Alhaji Imam Ibrahim; Deputy Chairperson of the Committee and head of the online registration platform, Aisha Yesufu; and National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, among other party leaders and stakeholders.

Speaking at the event, Mark said the exercise marked the foundation of the party’s strategy to capture power in 2027, stressing that membership would be open and transparent.

“What we are kicking off today is laying a solid foundation for our future. Once you get the cards and you start the exercise, register anybody who wants to be a member of ADC,” he said.

The former Senate President warned against the practice in some political parties where membership cards are hoarded by influential figures.

“Our cards will not be kept in rooms. They will be given to our members. Whether you are our friend or not, as long as you abide by our rules and want to join, you will get a card,” Mark stated.

He expressed confidence that the party would form the next government. “I assure you that in 2027, ADC will form the government, and this is the foundation we are laying today,” he added.

Explaining the framework for the registration, Ibrahim said the committee adopted a hybrid approach to ensure inclusiveness and avoid technological bottlenecks.

“We considered building a website and even a mobile application, but we were concerned about possible crashes and the reluctance of some people to download an app just for registration. So we developed a web-based application,” he said.

According to him, the party would distribute 50,000 membership cards to each state as an interim measure to support the manual process, while the online platform runs simultaneously.

“We want a platform where manual registration goes alongside online registration. Internet penetration is still low in some areas, so we do not want to disenfranchise anyone,” Ibrahim explained, noting that both systems were approved by the party’s National Working Committee.

Yesufu described the system as seamless and verifiable, with built-in safeguards to ensure authenticity.

“The registration takes one to two minutes. It captures passport photographs and generates a QR code that allows details of any member to be verified at any time,” she said.

She added that the platform requires a voter identification number as a primary verification tool to ensure that registrants are genuine.

“There were several considerations, but we settled on the voter’s identification number as a compulsory requirement, with the assumption that those joining would have their Permanent Voter Cards,” Yesufu stated.

In a keynote address titled ‘A Register of Conviction, Not Convenience,’ Aregbesola cautioned against inflating membership figures for political optics, warning that credibility would determine the party’s strength.

“Across our political landscape, parties have become addicted to the illusion of size. They inflate membership rolls with phantom names and duplicate entries to project strength they do not possess.

A party of ghosts cannot win elections, cannot govern and cannot hold its leaders to account,” he said.

The former Osun State governor urged party leaders nationwide to safeguard the integrity of the membership register, describing it as central to the party’s credibility.

“The integrity of our register is the integrity of our party. If we cannot be honest about who we are, we have no moral authority to demand honesty from those who govern,” Aregbesola added.

Party officials said the registration exercise would continue across the states through both platforms, describing it as the structural groundwork for building a disciplined and competitive political organisation ahead of 2027.