The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of causing crises within opposition parties in Nigeria.
Mr Obi, a former governor of Anambra State and a presidential aspirant in the forthcoming 2027 election, then appealed to Mr Tinubu’s government not to cause crises in the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
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The former governor spoke on Sunday in Abuja after he and a former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, formally joined the NDC.
A video clip circulating on Facebook showed the former governor making the remarks.
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Departure from the ADC
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Mr Obi, on Sunday, resigned from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), a coalition formed to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.
The former governor said his decision to leave the ADC was not based on personal grievances but on the party’s internal divisions, legal disputes, external influence, and an increasingly hostile political environment.
Like Tinubu’s govt, like the judiciary
Mr Obi narrated that he left his former political parties, including the ADC, after Mr Tinubu’s government allegedly instigated crises which resulted in multiple litigations within the party.
Referring to the ADC, the former governor stressed that he was shocked that, each time he moved to another party, unnamed government officials would also join the party to cause similar crises and litigation.
“Today, we have left that place (ADC) to join the NDC where the leader has already told us that there’s no litigation,” he said, pointing at the immediate past governor of Bayelsa, Seriake Dickson, who was standing beside him.
Mr Obi then appealed to the government not to bring the crisis into the NDC.
“The government of today has ensured that they put up crisis upon crisis, which led to several lawsuits in our party that made us abandon those parties and move to another party.
“We are pleading with them, for the sake of democracy, please don’t come here (NDC),” he said.
Addressing the NDC members, he said, “We are pleading with you. We want to have peace; we want to build the party. We don’t want (court) cases.”
“Please, let there be no litigation. Party members, please don’t go to court. We want to build the party.”
The former governor also pleaded with the judiciary to halt court cases involving political parties in the interest of democracy.
“We’re pleading with the judiciary. Please end cases in parties so that we can face the job of building a new Nigeria that is possible,” he said.
Peter Obi, Kwankwaso are suitable, qualified suitors – Dickson
In another video clip, Mr Dickson, the national leader of the NDC, suggested that Messrs Obi and Kwankwaso were qualified and suitable for the party’s joint presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 general election.
“I don’t want to violate the electoral rules,” he began.
“But, we have seen very handsome, very qualified suitors, very suitable suitors. And we can pronounce you already in-laws,” he said, apparently referring to Messrs Obi and Kwankwaso.
“The formalities will await,” the former Bayelsa governor added, suggesting that the duo could be given the ticket before the party’s convention and primary election.
Presidency position
Meanwhile, the Presidency has repeatedly denied being responsible for the LP’s leadership crisis.
In early April, for instance, the Senior Special Assistant to President Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, denied a similar allegation which was made by a former presidential candidate, Pat Utomi.
The presidential aide described the claim as “ridiculous” and argued that Mr Tinubu was not responsible for the leadership crisis or the legal battles in the opposition political parties that warranted the allegation.
“Is it President Tinubu who created the problem in their parties? Did Tinubu ask them not to be able to organise themselves?” he had said.
The ADC crisis that forced Peter Obi out of the party
Three factions are currently vying for control of the ADC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Apart from the David Mark-led faction, the most prominent of all, there are the Nafiu Bala faction and the newly emerged Dumebi Kachikwu faction, each claiming to be the party’s authentic leadership.
Mr Bala was the ADC’s governorship candidate in the 2023 election in Gombe State before becoming the party’s deputy national chairman under the leadership of Ralph Nwosu, whose administration handed over to the Mark-led faction.
Mr Obi and the most notable leaders of the ADC were part of the Mark faction.
The rival factions separately approached the courts over the party’s authentic leadership.
On 1 April, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) suspended recognition of Mr Mark’s leadership following a Court of Appeal order directing all parties to maintain the status quo.
The case originated from the Federal High Court in Abuja, where Mr Bala challenged Mr Mark’s emergence as party chairperson, insisting he (Bala) should occupy the position.
However, the Supreme Court, in a judgement delivered on Thursday, set aside the appeal court’s order and directed parties back to the Federal High Court for the determination of the substantive suit.
Less than 24 hours after the ruling, INEC published the names of Mr Mark, Rauf Aregbesola, and other leaders of the faction on its website.
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