ADC to Obi: Decide now on joining our coalition

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has urged Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), to make a timely decision on whether he intends to join the party.

The ADC said that while Obi remains a key political figure within its coalition, the party would not pressure him into becoming a member.

According to a report by Sunday Punch, the ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, stated that the party is not yet considering zoning arrangements, noting that its immediate priority is to establish itself as a credible political alternative.

“We’re not talking about zoning or no zoning now. Nigerians are still waiting for us to tell them what we will do differently,” Abdullahi said. “If zoning is the condition for Obi to join us, then maybe he should wait until that time. I understand what Peter has been saying, but I would encourage him to decide whether he wants to be part of the coalition or not. Our focus is convincing Nigerians that we represent a credible alternative, regardless of where the candidate comes from.”

He stressed that the ADC would welcome Obi’s participation in its coalition efforts.

“For us, we want Peter Obi to join us in building a political party that can reset Nigerian politics and provide a credible alternative,” he stated. “When we get to the stage of determining priorities such as zoning, we will take that decision. But if that is the condition for his participation, then he may need to wait until we reach that point. Still, we encourage him to make up his mind now. Our immediate priorities include strengthening our party, and we are making progress.”

Abdullahi rejected suggestions that the coalition is unstable, describing such claims as inaccurate.

“It’s unfortunate that he used a word like ‘unstable.’ Instability is not determined by whether we have taken a decision on zoning at this stage,” he said. “We are stable. Within five months, we have opened offices in 27 or 28 states as of last count, without a single political officeholder. That’s a major achievement. We would also like to see Peter Obi visit Anambra and support efforts to build the party, just as other leaders have done in their states. We want him to be part of our journey and the building process.”

On Wednesday, Obi said the ADC coalition was faltering due to unresolved issues around zoning and the rotation of key party offices.

Despite his concerns, he expressed confidence in the calibre of leaders steering the coalition, including former Senate President David Mark and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.