Former Edo State Governor, two-term senator, and newly appointed National Legal Adviser of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Professor Oserheimen Osunbor, has warned that Nigeria’s democracy is nearing collapse.
Speaking on Monday in Abuja during a handover ceremony from the outgoing Legal Adviser, Peter Oyewole, Osunbor blamed poor governance for the growing public disillusionment and said the ADC aims to change the current direction.
Hear him, “I want to commend your role in ensuring compliance with all the processes that were needed to ensure a very smooth coalition into the ADC,” he told Oyewole.
“Your party, the ADC, is now our party, and I commend you for ensuring due diligence and due compliance with all the processes that were required to ensure that the coalition came about successfully.
“I should also commend you. You just told me about cases in court—litigations that you have been handling very competently together with your team of lawyers and the volunteers, the legal practitioners who have offered their services pro bono to ADC under your leadership. You have done very well.
“I do hope and expect that the services you have been rendering to ADC will not cease with this handover. You are not offloading everything to me because you have institutional memory about how far ADC has gone up to this very moment, and we will be relying on that institutional memory.
“Don’t feel distant from us. We will continue to count on your support as we count on the support of every Nigerian, including legal practitioners, many of whom—as you said—have already offered to assist this party pro bono. So we will be counting on your continued support.”
Osunbor described the ADC as a political alternative for citizens who have become disillusioned by current leadership.
“The ADC has become a beacon of hope for Nigerians who are dejected and frustrated by the nature of governance we are experiencing in Nigeria today.
“Everywhere, people are disillusioned. I believe our democracy—and indeed the nation—is under serious threat. Nigerians are looking up to ADC to provide an alternative to this APC-led government that has misled the country with lies and deceit, pushing people deeper into poverty every day.
“The level of poverty is very high, and people are looking to the ADC to rescue Nigerians from this situation. Our hard-won democracy is being seriously threatened by the current government.
“We are mindful of the responsibility Nigerians expect us to take on. As I said before, I hope we will continue working together to ensure that the aspirations of Nigerians are fulfilled by bringing about an ADC-led federal government in 2027 and ADC leadership in several states.
“We are not in this race just to replace APC as though they are conquerors of Nigerians. We want to offer credible leadership.
“We know that government should cater to the welfare, well-being, and security of the people, which is currently lacking.
“We are very clear about what needs to be done to put a smile back on the faces of Nigerians.
“We know Nigerians are suffering, and we know they are looking to us to take the necessary steps to ensure that government is about the people—not about personal enrichment or looting public funds.
“The wealth and resources of Nigeria must serve the people—not just a few,” he said.
