Is the ADC Handing the 2027 Election to the Major Parties on a Platter

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Oyo State has descended into a full-blown leadership crisis following the conduct of parallel state congresses over the weekend, leaving the party with two separate executive committees and rival chairmen. What was intended to be a cohesive transition ahead of the 2027 general elections has instead solidified a “structural divorce” within the state’s most prominent alternative political bloc.

The division reached a breaking point on Saturday as two distinct factions gathered at different locations in the state capital to elect leadership.

At the party’s established headquarters in Oke Itunu, the incumbent chairman, Alhaji Yinka Olona, was returned to office by a faction loyal to the existing party hierarchy. This group, which includes influential figures such as Barrister Bimpe Adelowo, maintains that their congress was the only one conducted in accordance with the party’s constitution and with the knowledge of national observers. They have characterized their mission as one of “continuity and stability,” vowing to protect the party structure from being “hijacked” by external interests.

Simultaneously, a rival faction convened at the Watershed Event Centre on Old Ife Road. This group, positioning itself as a “New Dawn” for the ADC, elected Hon. Jimoh Adelowo as its chairman. Backed by high-profile political actors including Chief Bisi Ilaka, a former Chief of Staff to Governor Seyi Makinde, and businessman Chief Adegboyega Adegoke, this faction argues that a total overhaul of the party leadership is necessary to make the ADC a viable contender in 2027.

The “virus” of division has spread far beyond the state executive level. Reports indicate that the split mirrored itself across all 33 Local Government Areas and nearly every ward in Oyo State. In many neighborhoods, dual chairmen now lay claim to the same seats, creating an identity crisis for rank-and-file members and leaving the party’s grassroots machinery in a state of paralysis.

This internal war follows months of simmering tension over membership revalidation exercises and the control of party registration portals, which had already seen both camps issuing conflicting directives to supporters.

For years, the ADC has functioned as Oyo State’s “Third Force,” often playing the role of kingmaker in tight electoral races. However, political analysts warn that this implosion significantly weakens the party’s bargaining power.

The primary risks facing the fractured party include:

As both the Olona and Adelowo factions dig in, the “Third Force” finds itself at a crossroads. In the high-stakes environment of Oyo politics, where unity is currency, the ADC’s current state of civil war may have handed its rivals a significant advantage on the road to 2027.