The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has admitted that the exit of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso from its platform represents a challenge, though the party insists it remains firmly focused on its 2027 electoral ambitions.
Speaking on Monday night during an appearance on Arise News’ Prime Time programme, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, described the development as disappointing but not devastating.
Obi, who contested the 2023 presidential election under the Labour Party, and Kwankwaso, candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, had initially joined forces with the ADC in a bid to build a united opposition front ahead of the 2027 elections.
However, both politicians later moved to the Nigeria Democratic Congress, where they called for an end to litigation-driven politics as part of their new political strategy.
Reacting to their departure, Abdullahi said, “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.”
When asked whether losing two opposition figures who collectively secured more than seven million votes in the last presidential election had significantly weakened the ADC, Abdullahi argued that previous election numbers did not necessarily guarantee future political success.
The ADC spokesman also admitted he was personally disappointed by the decision of the two politicians to leave.
“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.
Despite that, he suggested the exits had reduced pressure within the party and would allow the ADC to concentrate on its core agenda.
“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 further stated that the ADC would not adopt an aggressive stance toward Obi and Kwankwaso, insisting the party still viewed them as allies rather than rivals.
“We don’t think they are our enemies. We are not going to go into a dogfight with them,” he said.
Obi, in explaining his exit from the ADC, accused unnamed forces of engineering internal crises and legal battles aimed at frustrating his political ambitions.
According to him, the move was driven by concern over the state of the country rather than personal ambition or anger.
He compared the situation to his earlier departure from the Labour Party, noting that both decisions were motivated by similar concerns about Nigeria’s democratic process.
Obi also alleged that persistent litigation and orchestrated crises were being used to edge him out of the political space.
He warned against turning democracy into a tool for suppressing the people, stressing that opposition parties should not be deliberately weakened because citizens suffer when democratic balance is lost.
