•Obi rejects VP slot, says external forces have hijacked party
By Obinna F Nwachukwu
Nigeria’s political landscape, ahead of the 2027 general elections is witnessing dramatic scenes with two former presidential candidates in the 2023 general elections, Mr. Peter Obi and Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, leaving the African Development Congress (ADC), which they joined not long ago from to the National Democratic Congres (NPC) for the realisation of their 2027 political ambitions
In separate statements issued at the weekend, the political heavyweights made allegations to internal party wranglings, unresolved court cases, and other political intrigues as reasons for their decisions to defect to other political parties.
Obi, in a statement he personally signed, announced his exit from the ADC, citing a toxic political environment, internal crises, and what he described as external interference undermining party’s stability.
In the statement, on Sunday, Obi said his decision was driven, not by personal grievances against party leaders, but by a growing pattern of division, suspicion, and systemic disruption that has made it difficult to pursue genuine nation-building.
“Let me state clearly: My decision to leave the ADC is not because our highly respected Chairman, Senator David Mark, treated me badly, nor because my leader and elder brother, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, or any other respected leader did anything personally wrong to me. I will continue to respect them,” Obi said.
The former Anambra State Governor, however, warned that the same forces he blamed for destabilising the Labour Party (LP) appear to be resurfacing within the ADC.
“However, the same Nigerian state and its agents that created unnecessary crises and hostility within the Labour Party that forced me to leave now appear to be finding their way into the ADC, with endless court cases, internal battles, suspicion, and division,” he stated.
Obi described Nigeria’s broader political climate as increasingly hostile to sincerity and reform-minded leadership, lamenting that “intimidation, insecurity, endless scrutiny, and discouragement have become normal.”
“We now live in an environment that has become increasingly toxic, where the very system that should protect and create opportunities for decent living often works against the people.
“More painful is when some of those you associate with, believing you would find understanding and solidarity among them, become part of the pressure you face. Some who publicly identify with you privately distance themselves or join in unfair criticism,” he said.
On his own part, former Kano State Governor and Minister of Defence, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, confirmed that he was already holding talks with leaders of other political parties over his political future.
In a statement shared on his X account on Saturday, Kwankwaso acknowledged ongoing consultations with leaders of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), and other stakeholders as he weighs his next political move.
He said recent reports suggesting a definite realignment were premature, stressing that discussions were still ongoing.
“I wish to state categorically that no final decision has been taken regarding my political future or that of my political associates,” he said.
Kwankwaso attributed the uncertainty within the ADC to a series of legal challenges, including a recent Supreme Court judgment that affirmed the legitimacy of a leadership faction led by Mark, but returned aspects of the dispute to the High Court.
He added that a separate ruling by a Federal High Court invalidated the party’s recent convention, while the Attorney General of the Federation has filed for its deregistration, leaving the party in what he described as a “precarious position.”
The former governor said the situation mirrors the legal issues that led to his earlier exit from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), noting that such challenges could undermine political participation.
“Like other major stakeholders, we have commenced wide-ranging consultations to explore the best options for protecting our democratic interests,” he said, adding that a decision would be announced in due course.
On the 2027 presidential election, Kwankwaso said he has neither declared his intention to contest nor endorsed any candidate, insisting that speculations in that regard are unfounded.
Despite the reasons adduced by Obi and Kwankwaso for leaving the ADC, sources close to the two prominent Nigerian politicians told the Daily Newscraft last night that the former Anambra and Kano state governors were leaving the party in protest against the adoption of former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, as the party’s consensus candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
The source explained that ADC leaders, led by Mark, had, at a recent meeting in Abuja, resolved to adopt Atiku as the party’s consensus presidential candidate. At the meeting, Obi was said to have been offered a Vice-Presidential slot, and Kwankwaso was offered the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF). The sources at the meeting said that both Obi and Kwankwaso rejected the offers, and angrily walked out of the meeting. They were said to have also refused entreaties from other party leaders who urged them to accept the offers.
Ahead of the 2027 general election, the ADC had resolved to pursue a consensus option to produce its presidential candidate. This was confirmed by Bolaji Abdullahi, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, in a recent interview with journalists in Abuja.
Asked if the party has resolved the issue of zoning its national offices, especially the presidential ticket for 2027, Abdullahi stated that, ” those will come up later.”
“Right now, what we are doing is engineering the party’s structures and membership drive. For the presidential candidate, we are working on consensus. It is only when that fails that we can think of conducting primaries for the candidates to emerge,” he added.
Atiku, former Rivers State Governor and former Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, as well as Obi are the front runners for the party’s presidential ticket, in 2027.
Atiku, who was the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2023, Obi, who contested under the LP, and Amaechi, who also contested the All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential ticket against the incumbent President, Bola Tinubu, had moved from their former parties to join the ADC as a coalition vehicle to pursue their ambitions in 2027.
But the party has been sharply divided over which region the presidential candidate should come from.
