The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has described the exit of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso from its platform as a setback but not a fatal blow to its 2027 electoral ambitions.
Bolaji Abdullahi, The party’s national publicity secretary stated this during an interview on Arise News’ Prime Time programme on Monday.
Obi and Kwankwaso, who were presidential candidates in the 2023 elections under the Labour Party and the New Nigeria Peoples Party respectively, had briefly aligned with the ADC as part of efforts to build a broad opposition coalition ahead of 2027.
Both politicians have since moved to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Abdullahi admitted the development was a loss to the party but insisted its goals remained intact.
“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 dismissed suggestions that the departure of two candidates who polled millions of votes in the last election would significantly weaken the party, noting that past electoral performance does not automatically translate into future outcomes.
The spokesman also expressed personal disappointment over their exit.
“Personally, I’m not happy they left… I’m not happy they left,” he said.
However, he added that their departure had also eased internal pressure within the party.
“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,” Abdullahi said.
He stressed that the ADC would not adopt a confrontational stance towards the former allies.
“We don’t think they are our enemies. We are not going to go into a dogfight with them,” he added.
Obi, in explaining his decision to leave, cited persistent internal crises and what he described as orchestrated litigation aimed at frustrating his political participation. He said his move was driven by the need to safeguard democracy and reposition for the 2027 elections.
