Obi, Kwankwaso’s exit setback but relief, says ADC

The African Democratic Congress has described the departure of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso from its platform as a setback but insisted it was not a fatal blow to the party’s 2027 ambitions.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, made this known on Monday during an interview on Arise News’ Prime Time programme.

Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, and Kwankwaso, who ran on the New Nigeria Peoples Party platform, had briefly aligned with the ADC as part of efforts to forge a broad opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Both men have since defected to the Nigeria Democratic Congress, demanding an end to litigation-driven politics as they reposition for 2027.

Abdullahi acknowledged the blow but said the party’s objectives remained unchanged.

“Is it a setback? The answer is yes. Is it a fatal blow? The answer is no, because the objectives are very clear. They are still the same,” he said.

When pressed by the host on whether the failed coalition attempt, involving two candidates who jointly polled over seven million votes in 2023, had significantly weakened the ADC’s prospects, Abdullahi said there was no guarantee that past electoral performance would automatically translate into future votes.

The spokesman also disclosed that he was personally unhappy with the development.

“Personally, I’m not happy they left. And I cannot tell you why, because I have my own sentiments. I’m not happy they left,” he said.

He added, however, that the departures had freed the party from a stifling internal dynamic.

“In a way, it’s a bit of relief. Now we can focus on really doing what we need to do without being under the pressure cooker that they were trying to put us in. I am not disheartened. No, no, not at all,” he said.

Abdullahi also ruled out any hostile posture towards the departing figures, saying the ADC did not regard Obi and Kwankwaso as adversaries.

“We don’t think they are our enemies. We are not going to go into a dogfight with them,” he said.

Obi had cited orchestrated internal crises and relentless litigation as his reasons for quitting the ADC.

He said the decision was not made out of anger, personal ambition, or convenience, but after deep reflection on the condition of Nigeria and the urgent need to rescue the country.

He drew a parallel with his earlier exit from the Labour Party, saying both departures were driven by the same cause.

He described the pattern as severe, orchestrated litigation and internal crises deliberately designed to shut him out of the electoral process.

He also warned that democracy must never become a weapon against the people, and that opposition parties must not be weakened or destroyed, since when democracy loses balance, the people ultimately suffer.