The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on Nigerians to take a cue from American voters by rejecting the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general election over what it described as unpopular economic policies and worsening living conditions.
The party said the outcome of the United States midterm elections demonstrated how citizens could use their votes to hold governments accountable for their policies and performance.
ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, stated the party’s position in a statement issued on Wednesday while reacting to the reported victory of the Democratic Party in the US elections.
According to the opposition party, American voters had demonstrated that no political party or elected leader should consider political power a permanent entitlement.
It argued that Nigerians should similarly use the ballot box to express dissatisfaction with the Tinubu administration, which it accused of imposing economic hardship on citizens and failing to address insecurity.
“Americans have shown that when politicians become arrogant, when policies punish ordinary people, and when those in power mistake popularity for a permanent licence to govern, the ballot box remains the ultimate instrument of accountability,” the statement said.
The ADC maintained that elections should be determined by citizens’ welfare rather than political sentiments, loyalty or the popularity of individual politicians.
It challenged Nigerians to reject what it described as a contradiction between complaining about economic hardship and voting for the government allegedly responsible for it.
“We cannot continue to complain about the cost of living while voting for a President who has made life unaffordable. We cannot demand security while rewarding failure,” the party said.
The opposition party urged eligible voters to obtain and use their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), insisting that the 2027 elections presented an opportunity to change the country’s political direction.
Presenting itself as an alternative to the APC-led government, the ADC adopted the campaign slogans, “Make Nigeria Affordable Again, Make Nigeria Safe Again, Give Nigerians Jobs Again.”
It urged Nigerians to turn out in large numbers in 2027 and vote against the ruling party, describing the ballot as an instrument for ending what it called APC-induced suffering.
The party’s statement followed reports of significant Democratic Party gains in the November 3 US midterm elections, which were widely interpreted as a setback for President Donald Trump’s Republican Party.
The results reportedly handed Democrats control of both chambers of Congress, giving the opposition party greater leverage to scrutinise the Trump administration and challenge its legislative agenda.
Rising living costs, trade tariffs and public dissatisfaction with Trump’s handling of the war involving Iran were among the issues identified as contributing to the Republican Party’s poor performance.
Trump acknowledged that the conflict with Iran might have influenced the outcome of the elections.
However, the ADC believes the American experience offers a political lesson for Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general election, urging voters to translate dissatisfaction with the Tinubu administration into electoral action.