The African Democratic Congress has asked the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, to make up his mind about joining the party.
The party said although Obi was an important political leader needed in its coalition, it would not compel the former Anambra State governor to join.
Obi had, during an interview on YouTube with ‘Advocacy for Good Governance’ on Wednesday, stated that the ADC-led coalition was unstable due to some unresolved issues, including the zoning arrangements.
The presidential hopeful said he believed in the coalition despite being a member of the Labour Party, urging the ADC to settle some “fundamentals” necessary for a credible alliance ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Despite his reservations, Obi expressed confidence in the quality of leaders driving the group, including former Senate President David Mark and ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
When asked if he would stand by the coalition even if he did not emerge as its presidential candidate, Obi said he was not driven by personal ambition but by a desire for national progress.
But the Peter Obi Media Office said Obi never granted the interview.
His media aide, Ibrahim Umar, in a statement on Friday, said Obi had confidence in the ADC.
However, the spokesperson for the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, while speaking with Sunday PUNCH, said the party was not ready to toe Obi’s line of zoning.
He said the priority of the party was to convince Nigerians that it was a credible alternative.
“We’re not talking about zoning or no zoning now. Nigerians are still waiting for us to tell them what we will do differently. So, zoning or no zoning is not on the table now. If that is the condition for Obi to join us, maybe he should wait till that time.
“I understand what Peter has been saying. But I will encourage him to make up his mind if he wants to be part of the coalition or not. Because the most important thing for us is how we can convince Nigerians that we represent the credible alternative, and this is without prejudice to where the candidate will come from,” he said.
The ADC spokesperson said the party wanted Obi and encouraged him to be part of the coalition.
Abdullahi said, “For us, we want Peter Obi to join us in building a political party that can reset Nigerian politics and provide a credible alternative to Nigerians. When we get to that point of deciding what he considers to be his priority, then we will take that decision.
“But if that is the condition on which he is going to continue to be part of the coalition or make up his mind about the coalition, he should probably wait until we get to that point and make that decision. But we will encourage him to make up his mind to join the party now. For us, we have other priorities, which include developing our party. We are making progress in that regard.”
He decried the use of the word “unstable” to describe the coalition, saying that the ADC was stable and spreading across the country.
The spokesperson said, “It’s unfortunate that he (Obi) used a word like unstable, because instability is not contingent on whether we are able to make certain decisions on zoning at this point or not. We are stable. Within five months, we have offices in 27 or 28 states as of last count without a single political officeholder. That’s a major achievement.
“We would like to see Peter Obi go to Anambra and support efforts to build the party like other leaders have done in their respective states. The party will continue to encourage him. We want him to be part of our journey. We want him to be part of building the party.”
However, Obi’s former campaign spokesman and National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Yunusa Tanko, urged the ADC to give the former Anambra governor more time for consultation.
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