The party’s spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, made this known during an interview on ARISE TV on Monday.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has described the exit of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso from the party as both a setback and a relief, saying it now has space to focus on its internal direction.
The party’s spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, made this known during an interview on ARISE TV on Monday.
He said he was personally unhappy about their departure, but insisted it had reduced internal pressure within the party.
“Personally, I’m not happy that Peter Obi and Kwankwaso left ADC, because I have my sentiments. But in a way, it’s a bit of a relief. Now we can do what we really need to do without being under the pressure cooker they were trying to put us in,” he said.
Abdullahi admitted the exit was a setback but ruled out any suggestion that it was fatal to the party’s structure.
“Is this a setback? The answer is yes. Is it a fatal blow? The answer is no,” he added.
He also accused Obi of showing little interest in the party’s ideology and policy direction, particularly its manifesto.
“We set up a manifesto committee to develop a blueprint on what we want to do differently. You can ask Peter Obi what ADC’s position is on fuel subsidy or security. He doesn’t know because he has never been interested,” Abdullahi claimed.
According to him, the party’s expectation was that new entrants would align with its ideas, rather than expect automatic control of the structure.
“They are just waiting for the ticket to be handed over to them,” he said.
Abdullahi further explained that the ADC was working towards adopting a consensus presidential candidate rather than conducting direct primaries, citing electoral constraints.
“We are going to settle for consensus because there was no possibility of direct primary under the Electoral Act,” he said.
He also suggested that Obi’s political expectations were better suited to another platform.
“I think the kind of party Peter Obi needed was the party he’s in now — a party that belongs to one man that can guarantee the ticket before he comes in,” he said.
Obi had on Sunday announced his resignation from the ADC, months after joining the party in December.
In his resignation letter, he said his decision was not driven by personal issues with party leaders, including former Senate President David Mark and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, whom he said he still respects.
However, Obi cited internal crises, court cases, and leadership struggles within the party as reasons for his departure, warning that such issues were distracting from national concerns and good governance.
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