Funso Doherty, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate in the 2023 Lagos governorship election, has left the party to join the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). He announced his defection in a statement on Thursday, attributing the move to divisions among ADC leaders. Doherty said the hope that ADC would serve as a unifying opposition platform against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 election is no longer achievable. He urged ADC members to decide whether to stay in the party or pursue their political goals elsewhere.
Doherty stated he made the decision after consultation, deliberation and prayerful reflection. "I have joined the NDC. I am convinced that this is the path that will enable us to deliver the benefits of good governance to those to whom they are due – every citizen, without exception," he said. He noted that some opposition leaders had already moved to the NDC while others remained in the ADC. Doherty had previously left the ADC for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following his poor performance in the 2023 governorship race. He later returned to the ADC when it gained traction as a potential opposition coalition.
