By Obinna Uballa
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has announced the establishment of a Special Representatives Network in major global capitals as part of a new strategy to expand the party’s international engagement and promote democratic accountability in Nigeria.
The opposition party said the initiative is designed to strengthen communication with influential international stakeholders and draw global attention to political developments in Nigeria, particularly concerns about democratic governance and the treatment of opposition actors.
In a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said the network would deploy credible representatives as envoys in strategically selected foreign capitals to serve as official liaison points between the party and international institutions.
According to the party, the representatives will engage with foreign governments, parliamentary committees, international media organisations, democracy-support institutions and Nigerian diaspora communities.
The envoys will also provide regular briefings on political developments in Nigeria, including issues related to democratic governance, electoral integrity, human rights concerns and alleged restrictions on opposition political activities.
The party said the initiative was partly prompted by what it described as a growing pattern of undemocratic practices and attacks on opposition members and leaders since July 2025.
ADC alleged that such actions include attempts to destabilise opposition parties, undermine legitimate party leadership structures and restrict political participation.
“The Special Representatives Network is designed to create structured channels of communication between the ADC and influential international stakeholders, particularly in countries and institutions that prioritise democracy, human rights and the rule of law,” the statement said.
It added that the initiative would also enable the party to present its policy positions and reform proposals directly to international partners while ensuring that global actors receive balanced information about Nigeria’s political environment.
According to the ADC, the move will help counter what it described as the dominance of official government narratives in international discussions about Nigeria’s political situation.
“The primary objective of this initiative is to ensure that international partners and democratic institutions receive balanced and credible information about Nigeria’s political environment rather than relying solely on official government narratives,” the party stated.
As part of the programme, the ADC said it had identified several cities across North America, Europe and Africa for strategic engagements based on their global influence, commitment to democratic governance and the presence of large Nigerian diaspora communities.
The cities include Washington, DC; London; Brussels; Berlin; Ottawa; Paris; Pretoria; Addis Ababa; Nairobi; Accra; Geneva; and New York.
The party said the representatives in these capitals would facilitate dialogue between the ADC and global institutions while helping to highlight developments affecting Nigeria’s democracy.
In addition to the diplomatic engagement initiative, the party also announced plans to establish a National Documentation Initiative aimed at systematically gathering information on incidents affecting political participation across the country.
Under the arrangement, state party structures will collect and document reports of threats, harassment, violent attacks, arbitrary arrests and disruptions of political activities.
The information gathered will be compiled and used to provide detailed reports on the state of democratic practice in Nigeria.
ADC said the documentation system would help ensure that credible data is available for both domestic and international stakeholders concerned about political accountability and democratic governance in the country.
The party maintained that the creation of the Special Representatives Network represents a significant step toward strengthening its international presence and reinforcing its image as a responsible democratic actor.
According to the statement, the initiative is also intended to position the party as a credible governing alternative committed to constitutional governance, political accountability and the protection of opposition rights.
ADC added that by institutionalising structured engagement with international partners, it hopes to contribute to broader efforts aimed at safeguarding democratic principles in Nigeria.
