The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has drawn attention to the unresolved political relationship between former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi, as opposition parties begin early manoeuvring ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general election.

Speaking on Arise Television’s The Morning Show on Friday, the ADC’s spokesperson, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the situation presents a strategic puzzle with implications for opposition alignment, though he stopped short of portraying it as a democratic crisis.

Abdullahi described the relationship as a “conundrum” and a “challenge,” saying that it is one of several issues the party is monitoring as political calculations gather pace. He added, however, that the ADC’s immediate priority lies elsewhere.

According to him, the party is currently focused on building a functional nationwide structure rather than engaging in discussions about potential presidential candidates.

“Nobody in ADC at this time is having a conversation about who the presidential candidates will be.

“We have so much work to do to establish our presence and be in a position to contest elections in all the 36 states of the federation and the FCT,” he said.

Abdullahi said the party is considering different options for selecting its presidential flagbearer when the time comes, including a consensus approach. 

Should consensus prove unattainable, he said, the process would be opened to a competitive contest.

“The most important thing at this time is that when we get to that point, we’ll try to engineer a consensus.

“But if we are not able to reach a consensus, then we’ll possibly just open it up for everyone to contest. And it’s not just about Atiku and Peter Obi,” he said.

He stressed that interest in the 2027 presidential race extends beyond the two high-profile opposition figures, adding that the field remains open and unsettled.

“There are other people who are also interested in contesting the presidential race. We have to make allowance that it’s not a settled case between just Atiku and Peter Obi,” Abdullahi said.

He also disclosed that the ADC is holding discussions with other political parties as part of efforts to build a broader coalition ahead of the next general election.


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