Bolaji Abdullahi, interim national publicity secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has said that Peter Obi remains in the coalition of political parties and won’t risk returning to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Abdullahi said this during an interview on Prime Time, an Arise Television programme, on Monday in reaction to Ali Modu Sheriff, the former governor of Borno State’s statement that Obi will return to the PDP ahead of the 2027 elections.
Abdullahi said contrary to speculation, Obi, the presidential flagbearer of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections, is aware of the risks involved in returning to the PDP.
“Peter is in the coalition regardless of what anybody is saying,” Abdullahi said, explaining that the ADC’s emergence has prompted some movement within the PDP.
The interim national publicity secretary of the ADC, however, said that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) still holds significant influence over the main opposition party.
“Everyone knows that the jugular of the PDP is still in the hands of the ruling party. Peter Obi, more than anyone else, knows that he cannot take the risk of going to the PDP,” Abdullahi said.
On the coalition’s choice of presidential candidate, Abdullahi said the ADC at the moment is not having any discussions about who the flagbearer will be in 2027.
“Our party is one month old. We are not having any conversation about who will be the flagbearer at the moment. We are focused on developing the party, building structures, and establishing systems that demonstrate our commitment to democracy,” Abdullahi said.
He, however, gave assurance that the decision about the party’s presidential candidate would be made in due course through a democratic and transparent process.
“We are preoccupied with developing our party. We are building the structure and putting in place the necessary system that would show Nigerians that we are indeed a democratic party,” he said.
“The question of who becomes the flagbearer of the party is a question we are going to answer down the line, and we are going to do so in a very democratic and transparent way.”
