Socio-political activist Aisha Yesufu has publicly criticised the leadership structure of the newly unveiled African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition, lambasting its composition as being dominated by “older generation men” and warning against the tokenistic inclusion of women and youth.
Her remarks, posted on X on Thursday, shortly after the ADC was officially launched as the platform for a broad opposition front aiming for the 2027 general elections, directly addressed the coalition, which recently announced former Senate President David Mark as its interim National Chairman and ex-Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola as its interim National Secretary.
“Dear Coalition (ADC),” Yesufu wrote, “Women leader and Youth leader positions cannot be what is reserved for women and youth.”
She went on to state pointedly to the ADC leadership, “You see this table full of older generation men, cannot be the only ones allowed to make the decision as we go on! Women and Youth must be in the midst of decision-making and not as afterthought in the form of tokenism,”
Beyond her critique, Yesufu issued a rallying cry to women and youth, urging them to actively engage and make their numerical strength count.
“Dear Women and Youth,” she implored, “This is the time for the numbers you have to be heard loud and clear. JOIN!!! Be part of the leadership! Be part of the delegates. Be part of floor members. Overwhelm for good! Bring in ideas from out of the box.”
Her intervention presents an early challenge for the ADC coalition, urging it to demonstrate a true commitment to inclusivity and to convert its claimed ideals of broad representation into tangible actions within its developing leadership and operational structures.
Yesufu’s call backs the ongoing demand for greater representation of demographic groups that make up a significant part of Nigeria’s voting population but are frequently excluded from high-level political decision-making.
