Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the official spokesperson for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has acknowledged a growing apprehension within the party regarding the electoral collaboration—or lack thereof—between former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi ahead of the 2027 general elections.
During an appearance on Arise TV’s The Morning Show on Friday, Abdullahi admitted that the dynamic between the two influential politicians presents a significant “conundrum” and a “challenge” that the ADC is concerned about.
However, the ADC chieftain pushed back against labeling the situation as the “greatest threat” to Nigeria’s democracy, as was suggested during the televised interview.
“I may not describe the situation in such superlative terms to say that it is the greatest threat to democracy at the moment. But is it a conundrum? Yes. Is it a challenge? Yes. Is it something we are concerned about? Yes,” Abdullahi stated.
ADC’s Current Focus: Structure and Capacity
Abdullahi clarified that while the potential reunion or division of Atiku and Obi remains an important political issue, the ADC’s primary focus right now is internal. The party is prioritizing the consolidation of its presence and the enhancement of its capacity to field competitive candidates across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory for the upcoming polls.
“Nobody in ADC at this time is having a conversation about who the presidential candidates will be,” he noted, explaining that the immediate task is to establish a strong, national presence.
“We have so much work to do, to establish our presence, to be in a position to contest elections in all the 36 states of the Federation and the FCT. So, this has preoccupied us. But we know that is an issue we have to deal with,” he added.
When it comes to selecting the ADC’s 2027 presidential standard-bearer, Abdullahi outlined a two-pronged approach. The party’s initial preference will be to engineer a consensus among aspirants.
Should the consensus route fail, he confirmed that the presidential ticket would be “thrown open” to all interested candidates.
Furthermore, he stressed that the contest for the ticket is not limited to just the two political heavyweights. “There are other people who are also interested in contesting the presidential race. We have to make allowance that it’s not a settled case between just Atiku and Peter Obi,” he concluded.
