Tambuwal said the exits of former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) leader, Rabiu Kwankwaso, from the ADC-backed coalition were not the result of internal disagreement.
Former Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, has dismissed claims of internal crisis within the African Democratic Congress (ADC), insisting that recent defections from the coalition were driven by personal political decisions rather than any party division.
Tambuwal said the exits of former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) leader, Rabiu Kwankwaso, from the ADC-backed coalition were not the result of internal disagreement.
The departures of the two opposition figures, alongside several federal lawmakers, had sparked concerns in political circles that the ADC-led coalition may be facing cracks ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, Tambuwal said there was no evidence of any crisis within the party.
“I do not believe that it was out of any crack. I believe that they wanted to go to another platform for them to possibly test their popularity with the Nigerian people at the general elections,” he said.
He also dismissed suggestions that the ADC structure was being positioned in favour of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, stressing that such claims were not backed by statements from key stakeholders.
“I didn’t hear Governor Peter Obi saying so, I didn’t hear Distinguished Rabiu Kwankwaso saying so,” he noted.
Tambuwal further argued that the coalition remains inclusive under the leadership of former Senate President David Mark, who chairs the party.
“And if it is an assumption of any individual, observers or public commentators, I believe that with Distinguished Senator David Mark on the saddle as chairman of ADC, a level playing field would have been provided,” he said.
He maintained that no group or individual had been sidelined within the party structure, adding that stakeholder participation remained central to its operations.
“Stakeholder involvement is very clear in ADC… there is nobody that is clearly an Atiku person occupying the office of the National Chairman, National Secretary, Organising Secretary or Legal Adviser,” he said.
Tambuwal also revealed that Peter Obi had been given the opportunity to nominate the party’s National Organising Secretary, describing the position as a key role in the party’s structure.
Earlier on Friday, Tambuwal attended a strategic stakeholders’ meeting with party leaders, youth representatives and political associates, where he reportedly stepped down the party’s senatorial ticket for former Commissioner for Finance, Faruk Malami-Yabo, following consultations over candidate selection for the 2027 elections.
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