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Obi’s exit a big blow, but not deadly – ADC *Ex-gov was overpampered
Everything was done to make Obi happy and to retain him in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Bolaji Abdullahi, spokesman of the party, said on Monday, insisting that no other member got the type of attention the former governor of Anambra State received by the top echelon of the party.
Regretting that Obi, candidate of the Labour Party (LP), in the 2023 presidential election eventually rebuffed all the favours and turned his back on the party, Abdullahi, National Publicity Secretary of the hitherto coalition party, also saw Obi’s exit as a relief to enable members focus on ADC’s main objectives.
A guest of Prime Time, a public affairs programme on ARISE NEWS Television, he accused the former governor of harbouring a different agenda, adding that his joining the National Democratic Congress (NDC), was premeditated, and an option he took because of his inability to face the challenges of a coalition arrangement, which thrived on competition, negotiation and compromise.
Obi alongside Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, also former governor of Kano, who also contested the 2023 election on the platform of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), left the ADC to formally join the NDC, a decision, which seemed not to sit well with the leaders of the former arrangemen.
Bemoaning the development, the ADC spokesman, who explained that the action though hurtful, was not fatal stressed that Obi’s exit came as a result of his penchant for seeking a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to contest the presidency, which ADC could not offer him without fair contest.
Hear him: “The kind of party Peter Obi needed was the party he is now. A party that belongs to one man, that can say I guarantee you the ticket before he comes in.
“But in a political party like a coalition where a lot of negotiations need to happen, where you cannot take anybody for granted, where you have to make sure you keep everybody within the coalition even when they don’t get what they want… I don’t think Peter Obi can survive in such an environment, and that is why he’s gone to NDC because NDC can promise him the ticket.
“Personally, I’m not happy they left, but in a way, it is a bit of relief. Now we can really focus on doing what we need to do without being under the pressure cooker that they were trying to put us in. His departure is a setback but not a fatal blow. We are not going to go into a dogfight with them; they are not our enemy.”
Emphasising on practical steps the party took to achieve its objectives of increasing its appeal on Nigerians in order to unseat President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) government, he said, Obi failed to align with such far-reaching moves because he had different set of interests.
Hear him: “We set up a manifesto committee that worked for about two to three months to develop a document that clearly outlined what we will do differently. You may invite His Excellency Peter Obi here and ask him, what is the ADC position on fuel subsidy? What is the ADC’s framework on security? He doesn’t know, because he’s never been interested.
“They are just waiting for the tickets to be handed to them. If you say you want to contest election, and you believe in changing the country, you should know what your party stands for. The ADC is a party with clear ideology and structure capable of offering Nigerians credible alternatives, but some political actors were more interested in using the party as a mere “special purpose vehicle” for their personal ambition.
“Everything that the government has thrown at the ADC, we have resisted. We have fought back and remained committed to our goal of rescuing Nigerians from the failure of this government. We have been fighting for democracy within a party that has given us the best chance to serve the Nigerian people. Even Peter Obi once said at a coalition meeting that if we present two candidates against Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we would be handing him victory in 2027. So, what has changed?”
“None of the aspirants or leaders was given as much consideration as Peter Obi. The office of the National Organising Secretary is the engine room of the party. It handles congresses, elections, and core operations. That office is occupied by his nominee,” he said.
Addressing claims by some of Obi’s supporters that the party was skewed in favour of a particular candidate, Abdullahi said such assertions were unfounded.
“We met with Peter Obi consistently. He attended coalition meetings regularly. He made it clear he would only join if the ticket was zoned. He took nearly a year to join the ADC and never raised concerns about bias within the party, because there was none,” he added.
Using a metaphor to illustrate his point, Abdullahi said: “When a woman wants to leave a marriage, she gives all kinds of reasons, including being suffocated by too much love. That is what we are seeing now.”
He emphasised that while individuals are free to associate with any political platform, those who choose to leave should avoid offering what he described as “flimsy excuses.”
Abdullahi also revealed that Obi’s defection appeared to have been in motion for some time, citing a meeting held two months ago in Kano involving Obi, Kwankwaso, and former Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson.
“After that meeting in Kano, I reached out to Governor Dickson and asked what had transpired. Kwankwaso had been considering joining the ADC, and suddenly, things changed. It raised questions about whether there were efforts to divide the opposition and create an advantage for the incumbent,” he said.
According to Abdullahi, Dickson indicated that the NDC remained an alternative platform open to interested politicians.
“What this suggests is that the defection of Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso was pre-planned. It even raises the question of whether Kwankwaso’s involvement in the ADC was a trojan horse at the onset,” he added.
“He is running in contempt of the court. Justice Lifu should be arrested because he is acting in contempt of the court which is a criminal act,” were the exact words with which the African Democratic Congress (ADC), demonstrated its angst over the court ruling on Monday, ordering its de-registration as a political party in Nigeria.
A furious Bolaji Abdullahi, spokesman of the party, told his host while appearing as a guest on Monday’s edition of Politics Today, a public affairs programme on Channels Television that the judge of the Abuja Federal High Court who gave the order was actually playing with fire because of the consequences.
Directly accusing him of playing the script of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to ensure that President Bola Tinubu emerged the sole candidate for the 2027 presidential election, the party spokesman, was emphatic that the plan would not work, as head or tail, ADC must be on the ballot in all the elections.
Hear him: “There is a Court of Appeal order saying don’t hear this case until October 27. So, on what basis? You can’t place something on nothing. The Court of Appeal said don’t act on this until I hear it on October 27. So, on what basis did he deliver the judgement
“So, for us in the African Democratic Congress, what we’re convinced and they know is what they have done has no leg to stand on legally. What they want to do is to create doubts in the minds of the people that this ADC has too many legal cases, can we actually run on this? And to distract us. But we’re not distracted.
“We’re very clear. It was in spite of all they have done since ADC came on board that we ran one of the best and one of the most comprehensive direct primaries in the history of democracy in Nigeria. So, we are strong enough to withstand this. And that’s why I’m saying that we are going to contest in 2027. We’re ADC. We don’t buckle before dictatorship.”
Stressing on the implication of the judgement, which also affected Accord Party (AP), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) for allegedly failing to meet constitutional and electoral performance requirements, following a suit by the National Forum of Former Legislators, he said it portended grave danger.
He added: “We are not surprised. We know that the Nigerian people believe that there is a problem with the judiciary, but what we did not expect is the level of judicial rascality that was demonstrated today.
“What we are saying is that we reject it in its totality, and we are saying that the people behind this are playing with fire. Hundreds, if not thousands, have obtained nomination forms and contested elections and emerged as candidates on the platform of the ADC.”
Peter Obi, candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), in the 2027 presidential election, is peeved at the decision of the Federal High Court, Abuja, ordering the de-registration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), saying the move is a heavy blow and dangerous to Nigeria’s democracy.
Justice Peter Lifu, who made the order, based on an action brought by National Forum of Former Legislators, agreed that the parties, including Accord Party (AP), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), failed to meet the requirement for continued existence in Nigeria.
But Obi, who left the ADC coalition to join the NDC, incidentally, based on what he explained resulted from the multiple court cases hanging on its neck, expressed his disenchantment, in a statement by the Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR), on Monday.
Signed by Ibrahim Umar, its spokesman, the group quoted the former Governor of Anambra State as decrying the growing damage to the nation’s sacred institutions on the altar of politics.
Stressing that the rise of nations depended on stronger institutions devoid of political influences, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, wrote on his X platform: “When the controversy surrounding the removal of the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, unfolded, I expressed a concern to a friend: that the greatest damage might not be immediate, but the message it sends about the sanctity and independence of our institutions to the world.
“Strong economies are built on trust. Investors can manage security risks, policy risks, and even market risks. What they fear most is uncertainty in the rule of law and a judiciary that is perceived to be vulnerable to political pressure.
“Today, many Nigerians have lost confidence in systems that should protect them. Businesses increasingly request that their contracts be governed by foreign jurisdictions because they have greater confidence in those institutions than in our own. That should concern every patriot.
“We must never sacrifice our sacred institutions on the altar of politics. Nations rise when institutions are stronger than individuals. The Federal High Court judgment ordering the deregistration of the ADC and other political parties is just one of those activities that further reduces the common man’s trust in our legal systems. It should be reversed.
“I pledge that we will restore the dignity, independence, and integrity of the judiciary. The common man must have a voice. The business community must be protected from legal uncertainty and intimidation. Justice must be impartial, accessible, and respected by all. To our judges, legal luminaries, senior advocates, and lawyers: this is your moment. Rise, defend the rule of law, take back your country! A new Nigeria is POssible.”
Not even Lamine Yamal’s second half introduction could help Spain break through the defence of debutants, Cape Verde, in their first ever meeting, as the ongoing World Cup event produced another one of the stunning results on Monday.
Yamal, the Barcelona superstar just recovering from a near two-month hamstring injury, was brought into the game in the second half to zest up the one-time world champion, but failed to break down the Cape Verde’s dogged defence.
Spain’s in the game played in Atlanta, one of the cities hosting the three-nation Mundial, displayed the same dismal outing, which saw them offering far less than the quality, which saw them lifting the trophy for the first time in 2010.
The European champions, which have not won a knockout game ever since, failed to dominate the African side, replicating their less than impressing outings and their eventual exit in 2018 and 2022 editions, even with the claims of coach Luis de la Fuente that the squad was the best in the competition, Spain were considered among the pre-tournament.
Neither Yamal nor Nico Williams, who also was hit by an injury-disrupted season at Athletic Bilbao and was not introduced until the 87th minute, were able to rise to the occasion against the 500,000 people African side, ranked 67 in the world, which is making their debut on the global stage.
In stark contrast to the searing temperatures faced by some other sides, Atlanta’s state-of-the-art air conditioned stadium meant there was no excuses for the slow tempo of Spain’s build-up.
Indeed the mid-half hydration break was met by boos with fans frustrated at the break in play despite the cool conditions.
The only serious move from the European champions only came at the sixth minute to half-time, when Marc Cucurella, fresh for sealing his move from Chelsea to Real Madrid, sent over a teasing cross that Ferran Torres turned onto the crossbar and Cabo Verde goalkeeper Vozinha got back on his feet to turn Mikel Oyarzabal’s looping header over the bar.
Even after the break, the Blue Sharks, were also able to hold back from the onslaught as they did in the first half, where Vozinho, managed to make another superlative save against Aymeric Laporte’s header just before half-time.
Despite the excitement from the crowd after he was introduced, Yamal, billed as one of the stars of the tournament, failed to create any magic with his first touch being the set-up of a decent opening for fellow substitute Mikel Merino which was too close to Vozinha.
In fact, Cabo Verde billed to take on Uruguay in Miami, nearly snatched a famous victory in the final minute of the 90 when Dani Borges planted a header too close to Unai Simon, who saved the occasion, to prevent the former world champions, billed to face Saudi Arabia in Atlanta on Sunday from humiliation.
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