Peter Obi’s decision to abandon the African Democratic Congress ahead of the 2027 presidential primary was a strategic mistake, according to a senior party official who says the former Anambra State governor should have remained to learn valuable political lessons even in defeat. Hon. Chille Igbawua, a member of the ADC Electoral Panel and adviser to party National Chairman David Mark, delivered the sharp criticism during a television appearance on Tuesday evening, arguing that Obi prioritized personal ambition over the broader mission of national salvation that initially brought coalition partners together.
Igbawua, himself a former governorship aspirant, defended the integrity of the ADC primary process that saw former Vice President Atiku Abubakar emerge as the party’s presidential candidate. He pointed to results from Benue State as evidence of a level playing field, noting that Atiku secured 55,000 votes while former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi garnered 30,000 votes and businessman Mohammed Hayatu Deen collected 22,000 votes. The distribution of votes across multiple candidates, he argued, demonstrated that the process was fair and competitive rather than predetermined in favor of any single aspirant.
Speaking about the coalition building process that led to the adoption of ADC as the opposition platform, Igbawua revealed internal tensions and departures that plagued the movement from its inception. Hayatu Deen, he noted, was involved from the beginning but later abandoned the effort only to return at a later stage, creating confusion among party members about his actual participation in the race. The criticism extended beyond procedural complaints to fundamental questions about commitment and sacrifice in Nigerian politics.
Addressing concerns that competing against Atiku’s formidable political machinery was futile, Igbawua pushed back against defeatist narratives. He acknowledged that Atiku has built a massive political operation over decades but emphasized that the former vice president has also lost primaries in the past, making victory far from inevitable. Staying in the race and accepting potential defeat, he suggested, would have provided invaluable lessons about where campaigns fall short and how to improve future efforts. Learning from loss, rather than fleeing from competition, builds stronger political movements and more resilient candidates.
When asked directly whether Peter Obi might be relieved to have avoided a direct confrontation with Atiku in the ADC primary, Igbawua offered little sympathy for the former governor’s alternative path. While wishing Obi well in his new political home, he made clear his belief that abandoning the ADC represented the wrong choice. The original coalition, he stressed, was formed to save Nigeria rather than advance individual careers, and many participants made significant personal sacrifices to prioritize national interest over personal ambition. Igbawua pointed to his own decision to step back from contesting despite his experience in the National Assembly and as Chief Executive of the Public Complaints Commission, making room for younger aspirants to compete.
The broader implications of Obi’s departure touch on persistent challenges facing opposition coalition building in Nigeria, where personal ambitions frequently undermine collective efforts to challenge incumbent power structures. As the 2027 election cycle intensifies, the ADC’s ability to maintain unity behind Atiku while managing disappointed aspirants will test whether Nigerian opposition parties can overcome historical patterns of fragmentation. Whether Obi’s alternative strategy proves more successful than remaining within the coalition framework may ultimately reshape calculations for future presidential aspirants navigating Nigeria’s complex political landscape.
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