Obi Didn’t Want Primaries, Exit Not Fatal Blow To ADC – Bolaji

The National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Bolaji Abdullahi, has said the departure of former presidential candidate Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso from the party is a setback but not a fatal blow to the opposition coalition.

Speaking on Arise Prime Time on Monday, Abdullahi acknowledged the political weight of both men but insisted their exit would not derail the party’s objectives ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“I will be lying to say it didn’t mean anything. These are two significant politicians, frontline politicians in this country. When you lose those two politicians, then you feel that you’ve lost something,” he said.

“But it’s not a mortal blow, because what we are trying to do is to build a broad-based coalition that will include everyone.”

Abdullahi said the ADC coalition was formed to unite opposition forces and challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which he accused of attempting to weaken multiparty democracy.

“We said the ruling party, the APC government, will not leave us alone because what they are trying to build is a one-party state,” he alleged. “They are trying to create a situation where, by 2027, President Tinubu will be the only candidate on the ballot.”

On the reasons behind Obi’s exit, Abdullahi pointed to internal legal disputes and differing political expectations within the coalition.

“He said the party was beleaguered by legal challenges, which is true,” he said. “But in spite of these legal challenges, we have built one of the most formidable coalition parties in Nigeria.”

He dismissed suggestions that the ADC was collapsing under litigation pressure, insisting the party currently faces only three cases which he described as “flimsy.”

At the heart of the controversy, Abdullahi said, was disagreement over how the party would select its presidential candidate, insisting Obi was not comfortable with the idea of primaries.

“Once we present two candidates against President Tinubu, we have given him a chance,” he recalled Obi as saying during coalition discussions.

Abdullahi also rejected claims that the party was structured to favour any aspirant, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

“That’s not true,” he said. “This party is not going to be an SPV for anybody.”

He argued that coalition politics requires compromise, which some major political actors may find difficult to navigate.

“I don’t think Peter Obi can survive in such an environment,” Abdullahi said. “In a coalition, a lot of negotiations need to happen. You cannot take anybody for granted.”

Despite the exit of Obi and Kwankwaso, Abdullahi maintained that the ADC remains focused and is recalibrating ahead of the 2027 elections.

“Is it a setback? Yes. Is it a fatal blow? No,” he said. “We are recalibrating and we are going to come back stronger.”

He added that the party will not function as a platform for any individual ambition.
“This party is not going to be an SPV for anybody,” he said.