By Nora Inwang
Akwa Ibom State Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rt. Hon. Duke Dick, has declared that the newly unveiled ADC Coalition Party is on a mission to liberate the people from what he described as “fraudulent and inhuman governance” that has plunged citizens into hardship.
Speaking during the official unveiling of the ADC Coalition Party in Uyo, Duke Dick said the event was not merely about launching a political platform but about presenting “a vision, a covenant, and a rescue mission” to restore hope to citizens abandoned by successive administrations.
“This is not governance; this is betrayal,” he thundered. “From the local government chairmen to the presidency, we have witnessed greedy, selfish, and corrupt leadership that has chosen personal wealth over the welfare of the citizens. ADC has come to say: enough is enough!”
The chairman lamented the rising cost of living, unemployment among graduates, collapse of healthcare, and the diversion of local government funds, accusing leaders of siphoning billions into foreign accounts while Nigerians suffer. He recalled recent cases where women reportedly died during childbirth in local hospitals due to lack of doctors, equipment, and drugs, contrasting it with politicians’ frequent overseas medical trips on taxpayers’ funds.
Dick outlined ADC’s coalition roadmap, promising transparent use of public resources, grassroots development, investment in industries and agriculture to empower youths, and deliberate inclusion of women in governance. He stressed that women would not be relegated to campaign rallies alone but placed in decision-making positions.
“Every kobo of public money will be used for the people. Our youths will have opportunities, our schools will be rebuilt, our hospitals will work, and no community will be abandoned,” he assured.
He urged supporters to spread ADC’s coalition presence to every ward and local government, hoist party flags across the state, and mobilize for what he called “a march from hardship to hope.”
The coalition leader, Senator John James Udoedehe, who fired the first salvo, warned that Nigeria must resist slipping into a one-party system. He argued that democracy without alternatives breeds restlessness, recalling his past predictions that both PDP and APC would falter.
“For democracy to thrive, there must be room for contest and alternatives,” Udoedehe insisted, describing ADC as the new political force to rescue Nigeria.
