… Obi Plots Return to LP As El-Rufai Insists on Southern Presidency
Fresh cracks have emerged within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, are reportedly considering pulling out of the party over former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s alleged plan to hijack the platform for his 2027 presidential ambition.
Sources within the party hinted that El-Rufai and other southern bloc leaders are dissatisfied with Atiku’s strong push to secure the party’s 2027 presidential ticket, warning that his involvement is eroding the fragile unity that birthed the coalition.
El-Rufai, who played a key role in ensuring power shifted to the South in 2023, is said to be resolute that the presidency must remain in the South until at least 2031.
“El-Rufai has made his position clear—he will not support any northern candidate in 2027. Atiku’s ambition is threatening the internal stability of the ADC,” a top party source who spoke on condition of anonymity revealed.
Multiple sources say Obi is also becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the unfolding scenario. Insiders hinted that key figures in the “Obidient” movement have already mandated Labour Party’s former vice-presidential candidate, Dr. Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, to begin a peace-building process with the Julius Abure-led LP leadership—fueling speculations of Obi’s imminent return to LP.
“This was exactly what happened in 2023 when Obi left PDP for Labour Party because of Atiku’s unrelenting ambition,” said Katch Ononuju, a prominent ADC member and Director-General of the Heritage Centre, Abuja.
Ononuju also accused Atiku of attempting to manipulate the coalition for his personal gain, citing a historic alliance with former Senate President David Mark dating back to the aborted 1993 elections.
A member of the ADC’s interim management committee admitted that while the party will allow all aspirants, including Atiku, a level playing ground, the internal disagreement may lead to defections.
“Yes, the former VP is free to contest, but his ambition is already polarizing the ranks. If he doesn’t step down, we risk collapsing the coalition before 2027,” the source said.
Meanwhile, Labour Party’s national publicity secretary, Obiora Ifoh, confirmed that Baba-Ahmed recently attended an NEC meeting of the LP as part of a reconciliatory mission but clarified that Peter Obi would not receive an automatic ticket.
“Everyone, including Obi, will go through the normal process. The party is open to him, but there will be no coronation,” Ifoh said.
The Obidient movement, he noted, transcends any one political party and remains committed to “a better Nigeria.”
In Benue State, John Enemari, state chairman of Action Alliance, lamented the lack of unity among opposition parties, blaming “greed and selfishness” for their repeated failures to mount a credible challenge to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Nigerians deserve a strong alternative, but unless the ADC leaders collapse their ambitions and rally behind one southern candidate, the ruling APC will cruise to another victory,” he warned.
The deepening cracks within the ADC come amid growing urgency for the opposition to form a formidable alliance ahead of 2027—a coalition some say could mirror the successful 2013 APC merger that ousted the PDP.
But with Atiku’s controversial ambition now at the center of a brewing internal storm, the ADC may find itself on shaky ground before the race even begins.
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