Northern ADC Leaders Get Cold Feet Amid Obidient Movement’s Peter Obi Push”

A report indicates that cracks have begun to appear within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) over the presidential ambition of former Anambra governor, Peter Obi.

According to Punch, followers of Obi, especially members of the Obidient Movement who joined the ADC from the Labour Party, have been insisting that he must be considered for the presidential ticket.

Their argument is that the South deserves to rule the country for eight years before power returns to the North.

It was gathered that Obidients stance has started creating hostility between the camp of the former governor and that of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.

ADC leaders, especially northerners displeased with what they described as the overbearing attitude of Obi’s promoters, had begun to withdraw from him.

A leader of the ADC told the aforementioned publication that some of the party’s stakeholders had developed cold feet.

The source said, “If you ask me about division, I will tell you there is none. But are we worried about what is playing out between Atiku and Obi’s supporters? Yes. Some of us know that the way they are driving their interests may jeopardise the party’s chances in 2027. While some leaders are drawing parallel lines along the two camps, some of us are threading the path of caution.”

Confirming the party’s concern over the development, a former national chairman of the ADC, Ralph Nwozu, said party leaders were worried about the turn of events.

He said those causing division in the party were a small fraction of Obi’s supporters.

Nwozu maintained that the former governor was committed to the party’s unity.

He said, “All the leaders, all critical stakeholders in the party, have advised their supporters to unite and build the party first. I was with Peter Obi yesterday (Friday), and he showed me the minutes of some of the Obidient meetings that he participated in, and he was very emphatic that this is about the country, not an individual.

“More than 60 per cent of some of the things you see being posted and said in the name of the Obidients, you will be surprised to see that the people behind them are not even members of the ADC. They are groups of people put together to continue to discredit ADC to ensure that the chance of opposition parties in Nigeria is dead.

“We can see some people who may be so carried away by emotion in Obi’s camp at this time, but they wouldn’t be up to five per cent. Yes, we are worried, and it is important because we are all interested in building the party. I can assure you that the outcome of the party’s primaries will not cause any division in the party.”