By Tolulope Oke
Dumebi Kachikwu, a key faction leader within the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has accused prominent political figures, including Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar, and others of joining the party with a strategy set up for failure.
In an explosive interview on Arise TV Prime Time, Kachikwu dismissed accusations that President Bola Tinubu attempted to hijack the ADC, instead pointing the finger at Obi, Atiku, and David Mark.
“Let me say this clearly: President Tinubu didn’t attempt to hijack my party. The people who attempted to hijack my party are David Mark, Atiku, and Peter Obi, and they are the people I am against,” Kachikwu asserted. He added that while he worked tirelessly to build the ADC, Obi and Atiku had no intention of advancing the party’s cause. “They came to this party because they were prepared to fail. They came to this party because they were prepared to work on the public psyche,” he said.
Kachikwu explained that he traveled across the country, popularizing the party and fighting numerous court cases to protect its interests. He accused Obi, Atiku, and Mark of joining the ADC with plans to exploit public opinion and blame the government if their political aspirations were thwarted. “They have not gone to court, but they’ve gone to the court of public opinion,” Kachikwu argued. “When whatever happens, they will say the government of the day frustrated their ambitions.”
The ADC crisis has now spiraled into a full-blown leadership dispute, with multiple factions fighting for control. Former Senate President David Mark is challenging a Court of Appeal ruling that temporarily restored a previous leadership arrangement, but the matter is now in the hands of the Supreme Court, which is set to rule today.
The Federal High Court in Abuja recently added fuel to the fire by ruling that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should not recognize congresses organized by the Mark-led caretaker committee. The ruling affirmed that only duly elected state structures have the authority to conduct congresses, effectively nullifying the caretaker committee’s moves.
