‘Existing political order must end’ — Aregbesola welcomes Lagos LP, PDP stakeholders to ADC

Rauf Aregbesola, former minister of interior, has called for urgent action to rescue Nigeria from insecurity, poverty and poor governance.

Speaking during a ceremony in Lagos on Saturday, Aregbesola, interim national secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), welcomed stakeholders from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party and other groups to the coalition.

Making reference to a statement credited to Obafemi Awolowo, Aregbesola said Nigeria’s current political order has failed the people and must give way to a new system that prioritises their welfare.

“Embedded in this profound statement, and drawing from the Hegelian notion of dialectics, is the unavoidable truth that the existing political order, which is the thesis, will be confronted by its antithesis, bringing it to an end. A new order will therefore emerge as the synthesis,” Aregbesola said.

“The cost of living is so high that starvation is literally stalking the land. Any government that does not make the wellbeing of its people the basis of governance will soon lose relevance and collapse.”

The former Osun governor added that insecurity across the country, the high cost of drugs, and increasing hardship show why a new political force is necessary.

“There is a limit to how much the people can be squeezed and pushed before something eventually gives,” he said

“This is why our mission is urgent and our intervention has become absolutely necessary. We must act now to save the nation.”

Aregbesola further said “what we did in Lagos is still unbeatable. We defeated a candidate there against all odds”, referencing the defeat of President Bola Tinubu, his former ally, in Lagos during the 2023 presidential election.

He added that he is “encouraged by the enthusiasm” of politicians and citizens who are joining the ADC.

The event is part of the ADC’s wider mobilisation drive ahead of the 2027 general election, after the opposition coalition adopted the party as its platform.