By Abiola Olawale
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has issued a call to the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, to firmly commit to the emerging opposition coalition for the 2027 general elections.
The ADC, which has been positioned as the potential platform for a united front, is stressing the need for all key figures, especially Obi, to put aside internal disagreements and fully join the alliance now to mount a credible challenge to the ruling party.
The push comes amid reports of internal strains within the coalition, primarily over unresolved issues like zoning of political offices.
Obi had on Wednesday expressed concerns that the ADC-led coalition was “faltering” due to unresolved issues around zoning and rotation of key political offices.
He nonetheless voiced confidence in the leaders steering the process, including former Senate President David Mark and ex–Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Reacting, Bolaji Abdullahi, ADC spokesperson, in an interview, said the coalition had not reached the stage where zoning should be considered, stressing that its immediate priority is presenting itself as a credible political alternative to Nigerians.
“We’re not talking about zoning or no zoning now. Nigerians are still waiting for us to tell them what we will do differently. So, zoning or no zoning is not on the table now. If that is the condition for Obi to join us, maybe he should wait till that time,” he said.
Abdullahi encouraged Obi to reach a clear decision on his political alignment ahead of the 2027 polls.
“I understand what Peter has been saying. But I will encourage him to make up his mind if he wants to be part of the coalition or not. The most important thing for us is how we can convince Nigerians that we represent a credible alternative, and this is without prejudice to where the candidate will come from,” Abdullahi said.
He added that while the party values Obi’s contributions, its development agenda remains paramount.
“For us, we want Peter Obi to join us in building a political party that can reset Nigerian politics and provide a credible alternative. But if zoning is the condition on which he continues to assess the coalition, he should probably wait until we get to that point,” the ADC spokesperson insisted.
Addressing Obi’s earlier comments describing the coalition as unstable, Abdullahi disagreed, insisting the movement remains firm.
“It’s unfortunate that he used a word like unstable, because instability is not contingent on whether we can make certain decisions on zoning at this point. We are stable. Within five months, we have offices in 27 or 28 states without a single political officeholder. That’s a major achievement,” he stated.
He urged Obi to contribute more actively to party-building efforts, especially in Anambra State.
“We want him to be part of our journey. We want him to be part of building the party,” he added.
