The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has unveiled its “Orange Book” in Abuja as a complement to its Constitution, establishing binding ethical and conduct standards for all members, elected officials, and appointees.
“The Orange Book serves as an addendum or annex to the Constitution. Members of the party are expected to commit themselves to compliance and conformity with the Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct,” he said.
PerSecondNews correspondent at the briefing reports that Osunbor criticised what he described as a growing deficit of ethics, morality and good conduct in Nigeria’s political system, saying political leadership must distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable conduct.
“We in the ADC do not believe that all is fair in politics. We believe politicians should hold themselves to a certain level of ethics and conduct, so younger generations can see good examples.”
He argued that political competition should not be treated as a lawless contest, stressing that even warfare is governed by rules designed to regulate the conduct of those involved.
“Even in war, there are rules of engagement. You are not at liberty to do anything in war. In the same way, politics should be guided by rules of ethics and conduct.”
Also speaking, the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, emphasized that the Orange Book was developed in response to concerns over the quality of politics in Nigeria, arguing that the coalition behind the party was formed to pursue a fundamentally different political culture.
“Nigeria is the way it is today because of the kind of politics we are playing. If we must solve the problems Nigeria is facing, we have to play a different kind of politics,” he said.
Abdullahi said the party’s governance principles would also require its elected officials to focus on the economic viability of their respective states and reduce dependence on monthly federal allocations.
He said: “If you are elected on the platform of ADC and you are a governor, you have a duty to develop the economic potential of your state, so that your state can survive regardless of what happens to the national economy.
“The ADC’s governance principle is that a government has a primary responsibility to create an economy that provides jobs, while making young people competitive and productive through the kind of education that connects directly to employment.”
Abdullahi said the party would measure economic progress by its impact on citizens, rather than relying solely on conventional economic indicators such as GDP growth and rising foreign reserves.
On his part, Special Adviser on Legal Matters to the party, C.I.D. Maduabum, said the Orange Book would impose accountability on party members serving in government, with violations attracting corrective measures.
“Members of the party in government must abide by its rules and conduct. If an elected official violates those principles, the party has the responsibility and duty to reform or replace that person.”
In his remarks, the Special Adviser on Research and Strategy, Chille Igbawua, noted that the document was subjected to the party’s internal processes before receiving approval from its appropriate leadership structures.
“The document went through the appropriate party structures, with the National Executive Committee and National Working Committee involved in the process and approving it, making it a document that every member who joins the party is expected to respect.”
PersecondNews also reports that the ADC emphasized that the Orange Book is intended to provide a clear standard against which the conduct of its elected and appointed officials will be measured, as the party prepares to contest the 2027 elections on a platform of accountable governance.