Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and ex-Governor of Edo State, John Odigie-Oyegun, has officially joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC), marking a significant political shift ahead of the 2027 elections.
Oyegun received his ADC membership card on Tuesday during a formal registration ceremony in Benin City, the Edo State capital. The card was presented by the party’s Edo State chairman, Kennedy Odion, who praised Oyegun’s deep experience in coalition-building and political strategy.
Speaking at the event, Odion noted that Oyegun played a central role in the 2013 merger of opposition parties that led to the formation of the APC, a coalition that successfully unseated President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015. “He has put together what is called a coalition before, and he succeeded,” Odion said. “So doing it again is not a difficult task.”
He added that Oyegun chaired the implementation committee that settled on ADC as the new political platform for a broader coalition effort. “He is from the heartbeat of the nation, Edo State, and we are moving the coalition together,” Odion added confidently.
In his remarks, Oyegun emphasized that the ADC emerged as the most credible and committed party after weeks of consultation with several political groups. “We talked to a lot of parties, about seven of them,” he said. “At the end of our meeting, we still came back and said, ‘yes, what you asked us to do, we have done… but we have not seen a party as dedicated as the ADC.’”
Oyegun’s defection signals growing discontent within the APC ranks and could reshape political alliances ahead of the next election cycle. His move is expected to bolster the ADC’s credibility as a viable third force in Nigeria’s evolving political landscape.
