According to an interview with the Sun on Sunday, April 12, 2026, Senator Athan Achonu, the Labour Party’s gubernatorial candidate in the 2023 elections, has explained his decision to avoid joining the African Democratic Congress (ADC) by questioning the backgrounds of its prominent members.
The former candidate addressed inquiries about his political affiliations by challenging the ADC’s distinctiveness from the ruling party.
“The problem is, people have asked me why I didn’t go into the ADC. This is Nigeria,” Achonu began. “Look at the people who are in the ADC, how different are they from those who are in APC?”
He cited specific examples of former APC officials now associated with the ADC, questioning their records.
“Is it El-Rufai? Or is it Malami that his ministry took somebody took somebody from 4th position in my state to number 1?” the senator asked, referencing allegations about electoral manipulation.
Achonu elaborated on claims regarding Abubakar Malami’s tenure as Attorney General.
“He made him governor, somebody who lost the election, they made him governor,” he stated, suggesting improper intervention in his state’s gubernatorial outcome.
The former candidate also referenced Rauf Aregbesola’s time as Minister of Interior, connecting it to security concerns.
“Is it Rauf Aregbesola who was Minister of Interior when the borders opened and all the terrorists came in? Was he not?” Achonu questioned.
His remarks reflect skepticism among some opposition figures about whether parties accepting former APC members represent genuine alternatives to the ruling party.
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