In a heartfelt acceptance speech, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has officially assumed the position of Interim National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Delivered on Tuesday, 1st July 2025, Aregbesola’s speech outlined his deep commitment to reshaping the party and restoring it to its rightful purpose in Nigerian politics.
Aregbesola expressed immense gratitude to the leadership of the ADC for the trust placed in him, but also extended thanks to all members who continue to believe in the power of politics as a force for good. He highlighted the need for political parties to be more than just machines for winning elections. In his view, a true political party should stand as an institution for mobilizing, organizing, and empowering the people to achieve their emancipation and development.
Drawing from the historic example of the African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa, Aregbesola emphasized the significance of ideological depth in political parties. He lamented that many Nigerian parties today lack such depth, often driven by personality and power struggles rather than principles and the people’s welfare. Aregbesola expressed his determination to ensure that the ADC would be grounded in democratic values, rule of law, social justice, transparency, and national development.
He outlined a clear vision for the ADC’s future, focusing on fostering internal democracy, ensuring fair intra-party competition, and establishing effective party structures at all levels. Additionally, Aregbesola stressed the importance of giving marginalized groups, such as women, youth, and people with special needs, a genuine voice in the party, not just symbolic inclusion.
“We will model international best practices in party organization, administration, and ethics,” he declared. He called for a shift toward a party that focuses on tangible issues such as public education, security, job creation, and community welfare, not just election promises.
Aregbesola acknowledged that the task ahead would not be easy, requiring time, sacrifice, and collective effort. However, he urged party members to support him in action, holding him accountable and challenging him to stay true to the mission of restoring the party’s soul and elevating politics to its rightful role as a service to the people.
The speech concluded with a call for unity in building a better future for Nigeria. Aregbesola’s message was clear: the ADC must become a party of the people, for the people, and by the people.
"Long live our party. Long live our democracy. Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria," Aregbesola concluded.
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