Thursday, July 31, 2025 - The newly formed African Democratic Congress has clarified that Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, and former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, have been exempted from defecting from their current political platforms ahead of the 2027 polls.
The interim National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Bolaji
Abdullahi, confirmed the development in an exclusive phone interview with The
PUNCH on Wednesday.
His clarification followed a stern warning issued on Tuesday
by the interim National Chairman of the ADC, David Mark, who insisted that the
party under his watch would brook no form of anti-party activities or
indiscipline.
Mark, while addressing members of the party in Abuja,
declared that “There will be zero tolerance for anti-party and any form of
indiscipline; you are either in ADC or not in ADC. No mid-way in this business,
and those not with us, we will not carry them along.
“Those who are not totally committed will not be carried
along. We shall reverse our grassroots leadership structures to reflect modern
realities from the polling units upwards to the national level. Every organ
reenergised.
“We will open the gates for the next generations, our
policies, nominations and roles will reflect such.”
The ADC, which was recently adopted as the flagship platform
of the opposition coalition, is widely believed to be courting Obi and other
influential politicians who have yet to formally declare for the party.
But the camp of the former Anambra State governor dismissed
fears over Mark’s warning, insisting that their principal had already clarified
his position to the coalition leaders.
The National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide,
Dr Yunusa Tanko, told our correspondent that Obi would not be stampeded into
taking any irrational decision.
He said, “Even before we got into the issue of the
coalition, our principal has made his position known ab initio, that he is
still a Labour man and the coalition that he joined is for 2027.
“Obi actually made that clear when the coalition was at the
formation stage. So we don’t see it as anything because we already made our
position known right from the beginning.”
When contacted to confirm Tanko’s position, Abdullahi
affirmed that both Obi and El-Rufai had been granted a waiver to remain in
their legacy parties for now
He explained: “Absolutely! Obi is correct. This applies to
himself and Nasir (El-Rufai). This is because their supporters and allies have
obtained forms to contest the election in their legacy parties.
“So we cannot ask them to defect. It will affect the
structures of those following them. They were therefore granted a concession to
remain in their parties until after the election.
“In a nutshell, they requested a concession and they were
granted.”
Meanwhile, Obi has distanced himself from the viral separate
statements currently making the rounds on social media and online platforms.
His media aide, Umar Ibrahim, clarified in a press release
on Wednesday.
One of the viral statements allegedly claimed Obi denied
returning to the Peoples Democratic Party and reaffirmed his commitment to the
African Democratic Congress.
The other suggested that he had been offered the position of
National Organising Secretary in the ADC.
Ibrahim, however, clarified that neither of the two
purported statements originated from Obi or his media office.
He said, “Peter Obi has been unequivocal in his position in
the ongoing coalition and didn’t need anyone to put words into his mouth.”
“He has remained focused on his mission but would not accept
anybody attributing a statement to him just to satisfy their devious agenda.”
The former Anambra governor, who has remained a subject of
widespread political speculation, continues to stay focused on his mission to
build “a new Nigeria of our dreams.”
The media office, therefore, urged the public to “disregard
any statement purported to come from him outside his media office or his
official handle.”
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