Fresh revelations have emerged on the crisis within the African Democratic Congress (ADC), with key opposition figures alleging that actions linked to the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu created conditions that forced their exit from the party.
In separate statements over the weekend, former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, and ex-Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, painted a picture of mounting legal battles, internal divisions and what they described as externally induced instability within the ADC.
The duo also officially joined former Bayelsa State Governor’s Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) on Sunday evening in Abuja.
Kwankwaso, a former Minister of Defence, in a statement titled “Clarification on My Political Position,” said recent developments within the party had created uncertainty about its future, stressing that no final decision had been taken regarding his next political move.
He noted that the recent Supreme Court ruling, which affirmed the legitimacy of the David Mark-led National Working Committee, also returned the matter to the High Court, thereby prolonging the crisis rather than resolving it.
According to him, the situation was further complicated by a Federal High Court ruling which reportedly invalidated the party’s recent convention, alongside a controversial move by the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi SAN seeking the deregistration of the ADC.
Kwankwaso said, “We left the NNPP due to externally influenced legal problems that made our stay perilous. The ADC has now been also forced into this difficulty.”
He added that consultations were ongoing with other political platforms, including the National Democratic Coalition (NDC) and the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), as stakeholders consider alternative political alignments.
The former governor also dismissed speculations about his presidential ambition, recalling his history of party loyalty, including his support for Muhammadu Buhari after the 2014 APC primary and for Atiku Abubakar in 2019.
On his part, Obi, in an emotional and reflective message to Nigerians, attributed his decision to leave the ADC to what he described as a toxic political environment worsened by systemic interference and hostility.
While absolving key party leaders, including former Senate President David Mark and Atiku Abubakar, of any personal wrongdoing, Obi insisted that the challenges within the ADC mirrored those that destabilised the Labour Party.
He said, “The same Nigerian state and its agents that created unnecessary crises and hostility within the Labour Party that forced me to leave now appear to be finding their way into the ADC.”
Obi lamented that the political climate had become increasingly hostile, with intimidation, internal suspicion and endless scrutiny replacing genuine engagement and nation-building.
He added that even within political spaces, sincere contributions were often undervalued, while individuals committed to reform became targets of criticism and misrepresentation.
Despite stepping away from the party, Obi maintained that his decision was not driven by personal ambition but by a desire to reduce internal tensions and remain focused on national development.
“I am not desperate to be President… I am desperate to see a society that can console a grieving mother, a Nigeria where people live in dignity and security,” he stated.
Both leaders’ positions have fuelled growing concerns within opposition circles about the shrinking political space and the increasing role of legal and institutional mechanisms in shaping party stability.
Political analysts told NAIJAONPOINT that the unfolding developments within the ADC may significantly alter the dynamics of opposition politics ahead of the 2027 general elections, as consultations intensify among key stakeholders seeking a viable platform.
Responding, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has described former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, as a political nomad following his reported exit from the African Democratic Congress.
Onanuga, reacting via his X handle to Obi’s announcement on Sunday, dismissed the reasons given for leaving the party, characterising them as self-serving.
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