Following the official unveiling of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Abuja, former Interior Minister and interim national secretary of the party, Rauf Aregbesola, returned to Lagos on Friday with a clear message for party supporters: avoid insults and political attacks.

 

Aregbesola, who was warmly received by ADC members at the Lagos airport, expressed appreciation for their support via a statement posted on his social media platforms. He cautioned against engaging in hostility with supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), despite the ADC’s mission to challenge the current administration led by President Bola Tinubu.

 

“The task ahead is great,” Aregbesola said. “We must not resort to insults or fights. When others attack us, let us respond with facts—facts about the economy, food inflation, rising poverty, and the cost of living. Ask them: Are Nigerians better off today than they were before?”

 

He urged supporters to focus on issues that matter to the people and to clearly articulate why the ADC offers a viable and progressive alternative for Nigeria’s future.

 

Aregbesola, who previously served as Governor of Osun State and Commissioner for Works under Tinubu in Lagos, was once a close ally of the President. However, their relationship soured in 2022 during the Osun gubernatorial election, when Aregbesola’s political group, Omoluabi, withheld support for then-Governor Gboyega Oyetola—Tinubu’s nephew—who was seeking reelection under the APC.

 

The group’s defection to support PDP candidate Ademola Adeleke ultimately contributed to Oyetola’s defeat at the polls.

 

Now repositioned in a new political camp, Aregbesola is calling for disciplined, fact-based campaigning as the ADC charts a path to challenge the status quo ahead of 2027.