ADC pushes back against PDP trying to lure away Peter Obi, its coalition prized asset
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Persistent efforts by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to persuade Peter Obi to return to its fold has been rubbished by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) which sees the Labour Party (LP) member as a prized asset in the coalition to dislodge Bola Tinubu from the Villa in 2027.
Obi defected from the PDP to the LP in 2022, energised the party with his mass followership, and became LP presidential candidate in the 2023 vote.
Interim ADC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi said it is “laughable” that the PDP, once dominant national politics, now to be “begging for candidates all over the place” which reflects the loss of relevance of the former ruling party.
“If the PDP is truly wooing Peter Obi, that tells you how low the party has degenerated,” Abdullahi stressed.
“This is the same party that many Nigerians were once desperate to get its ticket. Now they are begging for candidates. Why would we be threatened by that?”
Obi is a key member of the opposition coalition led by the ADC and his name has resurfaced strongly in political circles upon remarks by prominent PDP figures urging him to return to the party.
Those making the overtures include former Information Minister Jerry Gana and Bauchi Governor Bala Mohammed, the PDP Governors’ Forum Chairman who recently described Obi as the de facto leader of the opposition.
Abdullahi dismissed the outreach, insisting that Obi remains a part of the coalition and is fully aware of PDP’s “destructive internal dynamics.”
He added: “All I know is that Peter Obi is still part of the coalition. He has not told us that he has left or is leaving.
“But Peter Obi knows better. I have said it repeatedly: he understands the PDP as well as everyone else. Can anybody take the risk with PDP now? Knowing the internal dynamics within the PDP that have led us down this path of destruction?”
“So we are not bothered. We are focused on what we are doing. Like I told you, Peter has not told us he’s leaving the coalition.”
On the other hand, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has claimed that former President Goodluck Jonathan’s potential candidacy is increasingly attractive in light of political and economic developments since he conceded defeat to Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.
ACF Publicity Secretary Tukur Muhammad-Baba made the point on Arise Television where he also dismissed the pledge by Obi to serve only one term if elected President.
“The one-term issue is simply political talk, a clear act of desperation. On the surface, Goodluck Jonathan appears attractive,” he said.
“Over time, and especially since 2015, Jonathan has accumulated a lot of positives. He gave up when he thought he had lost the election, and has been living a quiet life.
“He has also gained several international recognitions. Developments since 2015 seem to favour him. However, it’s still a long way till 2027, and he will need to do a lot to sell himself.
“But, you know, Goodluck Jonathan will be a candidate. But of course, he needs to do a lot more to sell himself, to offer himself as an alternative, to show that he’s now different from the Goodluck Jonathan we knew as a person.
“Circumstances have turned out that some of the criticisms against him were simply political, and so on.
“Well, anybody could be a candidate.
“But I think, given the circumstances right now in the country, the difficulties people are facing, the challenging economic conditions, it will take a lot more for a politician, whether they are from the South, the North or from the moon, to convince themselves, to convince the electorate, that they are different, or that they offer a new alternative.”
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