Dumebi Kachikwu, the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has alleged that former Labour Party (LP) presidential flagbearer Peter Obi is considering leaving the recently formed ADC-led opposition coalition.
In early July, Obi joined other prominent opposition politicians to launch the ADC coalition as a platform to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections. Just two days after the coalition’s unveiling, Obi publicly declared his intention to run for president in 2027 — while still retaining his Labour Party membership.
However, speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Kachikwu claimed that Obi is now distancing himself from the coalition, having realized it is being positioned primarily to advance the presidential ambition of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
“The whole ADC structure is being packaged for the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar,” Kachikwu said.
“Since I started warning people about what is happening, we can now see it clearly; Mr. Peter Obi understands that the entire coalition was structured for Atiku. From what we’ve gathered, he is now exploring other political options.”
Kachikwu, a vocal critic of what he calls the hijacking of the ADC by high-profile politicians, insisted that the coalition was never a genuine alliance of equal partners but a strategic platform to benefit Atiku.
“Other aspirants who had hoped to contest under this coalition are also beginning to realise that it was never about collective opposition — it was always about Atiku’s ambition,” he added.
The ADC chieftain further declared that his party would not be used to serve any elite political agenda.
He vowed to resist attempts to use the ADC as a political vehicle for what he described as “class exploitation”.
Kachikwu concluded by reaffirming his commitment to mobilizing citizens through civic education, stating that Nigerians must be empowered to challenge entrenched political interests ahead of the 2027 elections.
