The National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Rauf Aregbesola, says Nigerians will determine the outcome of elections, as the country prepares for the 2027 general elections.
Aregbesola stated this during the launch of the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi’s memoir, entitled: “The Loyalist in Abuja.”
The former governor of Osun also warned that defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) might not guarantee electoral victory in 2027.
Governors do not win elections, the people do,” he maintained.
Aregbesola urged the authorities to commit to credible polls, insisting that the results would reflect the popular will of the people nationwide.
Also speaking, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar commended the author for interrogating loyalty, noting that unlike military obedience, political loyalty was shaped by conscience, experience and decades of democratic participation.
Explaining the book’s relevance, Abubakar, who was the special guest of honour at the occasion, said it challenged citizens to balance loyalty to country and institutions, with moral responsibility amid rapid change and competing narratives.
Drawing from his personal experience, he disclosed he had suffered assassination attempts and gone into exile due to loyalty.
The former vice-president argued that true loyalty must expand inclusion, demand accountability and transparency, embrace diverse opinions and protect citizens’ dignity, urging leaders to listen to dissenting voices.
While stressing that literature shapes public conscience, he described the book as humanising policy debates and sharpening empathy, and urged leaders and citizens to engage ideas from experience.
On politics, Abubakar said that the ADC offered a broad coalition to renew democracy, arguing that Nigeria needed a new alternative after years of failed governance.
Chairman of the occasion, Sen. David Mark, said rescuing Nigeria was a collective task.
He described the author as a straightforward, patriotic and selfless individual, whose counsel he adopted despite disagreements, adding that he had paid his dues.
Mark, however, clarified that the doctrine of necessity referred to in the book was solely the senate’s idea, stressing that it had nothing to do with Kwara or individuals from the state.
On his part, the 2023 presidential candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi, thanked the author and pledged strong South-East representation.
Obi urged Nigerians to write more, even as he reaffirmed his solidarity and support for national development.
