Chief Raph Nwosu, ADC founding chairman, has revealed that Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso only joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition after unsuccessful efforts to reach a political understanding with those in power.

Speaking on Symfoni TV, Nwosu said Kwankwaso initially preferred negotiation with the ruling establishment through intermediaries rather than immediately joining the opposition coalition.

“All along, when the chairman and other leaders would send people to Kwankwaso, he was more interested in negotiating with those in power,” he said. “It was when that finally failed, and then his governor joined them, that he had no more option. And he came into the coalition.”

He also acknowledged the contributions of both Kwankwaso and former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi during their time in the party.

He noted that Obi’s presence significantly boosted visibility and attracted about 500,000 new registrations into the ADC before his departure.

He maintained that despite the exit of both figures, the party remained resilient and even stronger afterward.

According to him, membership growth continued beyond their departure, eventually surpassing one million new registrations in subsequent months.

He said this demonstrates the ADC’s capacity to absorb political shocks while still expanding its grassroots support base across the country.

He further suggested that ongoing realignments in Nigeria’s political space continue to reshape alliances ahead of future elections.

He emphasized that such movements reflect strategic positioning by key political actors seeking relevance in an evolving landscape.

Africa’s richest man and President of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, on Sunday, received a hero’s welcome in Gode, Ethiopia, on a visit tied to his group’s fertiliser plant project in the country.

He was hosted by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and both men visited the construction site of the proposed facility.

Ethiopia signed a shareholders’ agreement with Dangote Group in August last year for the establishment of a urea plant with an annual production capacity of three million metric tonnes.

Construction was officially launched in October 2025. The joint venture is structured with Dangote holding 60 per cent and Ethiopian Investment Holdings, 40 per cent.

Dangote announced an increase in the project’s total investment from $2.5 billion to over $4 billion.

The Dangote Group statement read, “Dangote announced an increase in investment from $2.5 billion to over $4 billion, reflecting expanded scope, including a 110km pipeline, a 120MW power plant, a polypropylene packaging facility, and a two-million-tonne NPK blending plant.”

Abiy, who accompanied Dangote on the site visit, described the project as central to Ethiopia’s development agenda..

The prime minister said in a statement, “This initiative represents far more than infrastructure. It is a strategic investment in Ethiopia’s agricultural transformation, food security, industrial growth, and economic self-reliance.”

He said the plant would deliver broad national benefits upon completion.

“Once completed, the fertiliser plant will play a vital role in strengthening local production capacity, reducing dependence on imports, supporting millions of farmers, and creating new opportunities for jobs and investment,” he said.

Abiy said he was encouraged by what he observed on the ground.

“This morning, together with Aliko Dangote, I visited the project site in Gode to assess the progress achieved so far. I am encouraged by the steady momentum across the project area.

“Construction activities are advancing as planned across multiple sections of the site, reflecting the strong commitment and collaboration driving this important national project forward,” he stated.

The Dangote Group statement added, “The project reinforces Dangote Group’s commitment to industrial development across Africa.”

Raph Nwosu, a former ADC National Chairman, has said he defeated Peter Obi in two APGA governorship primaries before the party leadership adopted a consensus arrangement that produced Obi as candidate.

According to Nwosu, the late APGA founder and Igbo leader, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, wanted to contest for president under APGA and insisted on personally choosing the party’s governorship candidate in Anambra State.

Nwosu said the then APGA national chairman, Chief Chekwas Okorie, informed party stakeholders that the leadership had agreed on consensus in order to support Ojukwu’s presidential ambition, leading to Peter Obi’s emergence while other aspirants stepped down.

Peter Obi later became Governor of Anambra State after a long legal battle that overturned the 2003 election result against Chris Ngige.