ADC dismisses defections as premeditated, says exit not fatal to party
The National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Bolaji Abdullahi, has admitted that the exit of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso dealt a setback to the party’s coalition
The National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Bolaji Abdullahi, has admitted that the exit of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso dealt a setback to the party’s coalition drive but insisted it does not threaten its broader political objective ahead of the 2027 elections.
He also suggested that the exit of the two frontline politicians was premeditated, arguing that the reasons advanced were not tenable and indicated a misalignment with the ADC’s ideals, while alleging that Peter Obi was seeking a special purpose vehicle (SPV) platform where he could secure the presidential ticket without contest.
Speaking on a national television programme on Monday, Abdullahi said while the departure of the two politicians was significant, it was not fatal to the party’s ambition.
“I will be lying to say it didn’t mean anything. No, these are two significant politicians, frontline politicians in this country. When you lose those two politicians, then you feel that you’ve lost something. But it’s not a mortal blow,” he said.
On the reasons behind the exit of Obi and Kwankwaso, Abdullahi said the party would rely on publicly stated positions, particularly Obi’s claim that internal legal disputes influenced his decision.
“I will refer to the statements released by his excellency Peter Obi as the only credible evidence that I have of why they left. One, he said the party was beleaguered by legal challenges. Which is true,” he said.
However, he dismissed suggestions that the party was overwhelmed by litigation, describing the cases as limited and weak.
“At the moment, we have only three cases… and these three cases, without trying to be prejudicial, are all flimsy cases,” he said.
He listed the cases to include a leadership dispute referred back to the Federal High Court, a suit seeking the deregistration of the party, and another challenging internal congresses.
On claims that internal arrangements within the ADC favoured certain aspirants, Abdullahi rejected the suggestion, insisting that no individual had been given undue advantage.
“I can tell you that none of the aspirants has been favoured by the party the way his excellency Peter Obi has been favoured,” he said.
Citing internal party structure, he added, “Which office is the heart of the operation of the party? The organizing secretary’s office is Peter Obi’s man.”
He argued that Obi’s concerns about fairness were not grounded in fact, maintaining that the former presidential candidate had ample time to assess the party before joining.
“It took almost six months, before he made up his mind to join the ADC in December… Does it mean that before he joined, he didn’t see that it was an Atiku party?” he asked.
Abdullahi suggested that Obi’s exit may have been premeditated, alleging prior political consultations outside the party.
“I think it’s premeditated. It didn’t just happen last Saturday,” he said, referring to meetings involving Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) national leader, Sen. Seriake Dickson, Obi and Kwankwaso in the months leading to the exit.
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Despite the developments, he maintained that the ADC remained committed to building a viable opposition platform and would not engage in hostility with those who left.
“We don’t think they are our enemies. We are not going to go into a dogfight with them,” he said.
While acknowledging the political implications of their departure, Abdullahi described it as a manageable setback, “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.
He added that the exit could allow the party to refocus on its internal processes without external pressure.
“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,” he said.
Abdullahi also questioned assumptions that past electoral performance would automatically translate into future outcomes, downplaying the electoral weight of the departed politicians.
“There’s no guarantee that because you won one election in the last election, you still have that somewhere,” he said.
He, however insisted that the ADC’s coalition remains intact despite recent exits, noting that the party’s goal of presenting a credible alternative ahead of 2027 remains unchanged.
