ADC: Obi, Kwankwaso Exit Brings Pressure Relief, Not Defeat

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has acknowledged that the departure of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso from its political arrangement poses a setback, but insists it is not a crippling blow to its 2027 ambitions.

Speaking on Monday night during an interview on Arise News’ Prime Time, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the development was regrettable but would not derail the party’s long-term plans.

Obi, who ran for president in 2023 under the Labour Party, and Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, had earlier aligned with the ADC in an attempt to build a broad opposition coalition ahead of the next general election. Both politicians, however, later moved to the Nigeria Democratic Congress, where they advocated a shift away from litigation-heavy politics.

Reacting to their exit, Abdullahi admitted the loss of the duo—who together polled millions of votes in the last election—was significant, but argued that past electoral performance does not automatically determine future outcomes.

While describing the development as personally disappointing, he maintained that the ADC remained focused.

“I’m not happy they left, personally,” he said, adding that the party would not dwell on sentiment.

However, he also suggested that their departure had eased internal pressure within the party structure.

“In a way, it’s a bit of relief. Now we can focus on what we need to do without being under that pressure. I am not disheartened,” Abdullahi stated.

He further stressed that the ADC does not consider the two politicians as adversaries and ruled out any confrontational approach.

“We don’t see them as enemies. We are not going into a fight with them,” he said.

Meanwhile, Peter Obi defended his exit from the ADC arrangement, alleging that internal crises and legal disputes were being deliberately used to frustrate his political movement. He said his decision was driven by concern for Nigeria’s democratic health rather than personal ambition.

Obi compared the situation to his earlier exit from the Labour Party, noting that both moves were prompted by what he described as repeated attempts to destabilise his political engagements.

He also cautioned against weakening opposition voices, warning that democracy suffers when political competition is undermined.