The African Democratic Congress (ADC) says it is concerned that Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar are yet to align ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Bolaji Abdullahi, spokesperson of the party, spoke on the issue on Friday during The Morning Show, a programme on Arise Television, when asked about the absence of collaboration between the two opposition figures.
Abdullahi said although the situation may not amount to an immediate threat to democracy, it remains a challenge that worries the ADC as discussions around opposition unity continue to gather momentum.
“I may not describe it in superlative terms to say it is the greatest threat to democracy, but is it a conundrum? Yes. Is it a challenge? Yes. Is it something we are concerned about? Yes,” he said.
He, however, said the party is not currently focused on the 2027 presidential ticket, stressing that ADC’s priority is to strengthen its nationwide structures and expand its political presence.
According to him, no discussion is ongoing within the party about who will emerge as its presidential candidate, as efforts are concentrated on positioning the ADC to contest elections across the 36 states and the federal capital territory (FCT).
“Nobody in the ADC at this time is having conversations about who the presidential candidates will be,” Abdullahi said.
“We have so much work to do — to establish our real presence and be in a position to contest elections in all the 36 states and the FCT.”
He added that while the question of consensus would be addressed at the appropriate time, the party recognises that the presidential race is not limited to Obi and Atiku alone, noting that other aspirants are also interested.
Abdullahi said consensus remains an option for the party, but if that fails, the ADC may open the process to a competitive contest among interested aspirants.
He also said the party is exploring broader political conversations beyond its fold, including engagements with actors in other parties, with a view to building a formidable coalition ahead of 2027.
Earlier this month, Obi said the proposed ADC coalition was struggling because issues such as zoning and rotation of key offices had not been resolved.
While Obi is yet to formally join the ADC, Atiku Abubakar has already obtained his membership card. Abdullahi had previously urged Obi to take a clear position on joining the party, adding that the ADC is not yet at the stage of adopting zoning arrangements.
