2027: Obi Shuns ADC Caucus Meeting, Eyes PDP

The 2023 Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi was not among key opposition leaders who held a caucus meeting in Abuja, the nation’s capital on Thursday under the umbrella of the African Democratic Congress, ADC.

Obi has yet to make a remark on why he was absent at the meeting, sources close to him however insist that the former Anambra state governor is still weighing his chances in the party, as its presidential candidate for the 2027 election.

The former LP presidential candidate has also been secretly holding talks with the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, political analysts informed the magazine on Friday, citing his recent meeting with a former president, Goodluck Jonathan, who is also among PDP has contacted to be its candidate in the election slated for less than two years.

Instructively, the ADC has said the issue of who becomes the party’s presidential candidate is not yet on the table, saying what’s paramount is how to build the party ahead the elections, those watching the ADC closely said Obi is not sure of his chances against a former Vice President Atiku Abubkar who was among those who attended the meeting yesterday.

Apart from Abubakar, Rotimi Amaechi, a former Minister and governor of Rivers state is another prospective presidential aspirant eyeing the ADC ticket, and was among those at the meeting yesterday.

The meeting, sources said, was held to discuss the future of the ADC and those who attended apart from Abubakar and Amaechi, include  former House of Representative Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal, and former Governor of Kaduna state, Nasir El Rufai.

Others who attended the caucus meeting include the National Chairman of the ADC and its national Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, a former governor of Osun state, amongst others.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi disclosed that all the leaders have been directed to formerly join the party, and leave their current political parties.

Abdullahi also stated that the coalition leaders have decided to put to rest its earlier decision to register the Advanced Democratic Alliance, ADA, a political party formed recently by those planning to oust President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, from power but has failed to get the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC’s nod for registration as one of the political parties in the country.

Recall that the Prof Mahmood Yakubu-led INEC had earlier declined to register ADA citing some anomaly in the documents the party submitted for registration.

The ADC spokesman said the coalition leaders have decided to rest the quest to register ADA for now, and focus on building the ADC which they recently adopted to contest the next election against the ruling party.

Abdullahi said,  “Though final order has been given to all members to resign membership of other political parties, the caucus was silent on the timeline.

“The coalition has rested everything concerning the ADA. That means, they are not interested in the registration or otherwise of the association.

“All the presidential aspirants have agreed to support whoever wins the primaries election.”