2027: We Have PVC, Not AK-47, ADC Fires Back At Edo APC

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has vowed to resist alleged threats, intimidation, and political manipulation by the Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), asserting that it is rallying Nigerians to vote out the incumbent party in the 2027 general election. The opposition party emphasized its readiness to challenge the APC-led government's mismanagement through the ballot, asserting that voters' choices would thwart any attempts at electoral tampering.

The declaration came during a large senatorial assembly in Ewohimi, Esan South-East Local Government Area of Edo State, where the party introduced candidates for the state and National Assembly elections in Edo Central Senatorial District. The event also served as a mobilization platform for ADC structures ahead of the 2027 elections and urged members to intensify ground-level campaigns to ensure the defeat of the APC.

A key highlight of the gathering was the defection of members from the APC, New Democratic Congress (NDC), and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ADC. Former governorship candidate and party veteran, Mr. Kenneth Imansuaghon, representing the party's National Leader and former Edo State Governor, Prof. Oserhiemen Osunbor, expressed confidence that Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice-President, would become Nigeria's next president.

He criticized the APC's performance, citing poor infrastructure and insecurity, and noted that Imansuaghon's journey from Benin to his village in Ewohimi took over five hours under the PDP administration, highlighting the poor state of road infrastructure.

Imansuaghon dismissed the purported AK-47 threat from Edo APC Chairman, Jarrett Tenebe, in a viral video, stating that while the opposition party had nothing akin to guns, their strength lay in the people and their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). He vowed that if the APC attempted to rig the election, Nigerians would be prepared to defend democracy and their votes.

He also criticized the APC for overpromising votes, stating that the reported 2.5 million votes for President Bola Tinubu were a smokescreen and dismissed the possibility of rigging the election. Imansuaghon predicted a defeat for Governor Monday Okpebholo and dismissed the APC's projected votes for President Tinubu as a political deception.

EDO ADC Chairman, Tony Alile, echoed the party's stance, reaffirming that no threats would deter voters from fulfilling their constitutional duties. Alile underscored that the ADC would defend democracy through the ballot and dismissed the AK-47 threat, emphasizing that the party's strength resided in the PVC, a weapon 200 times stronger than the AK-47.

He urged voters to use their PVCs to express their dissatisfaction with the APC's administration, promising collective commitment and an all-hands-on-deck approach for victory in 2027. Prominent ADC leaders at the meeting included Tony Alile, Imansuaghon, and Hon. Herberta Okonofua, among others, all emphasizing the importance of the PVC as the party's primary tool for achieving electoral success.