Primaries: Divisive Campaign Working For Tinubu—ADC

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has cautioned supporters of all presidential aspirants to desist from creating divisions within the party while backing their principals ahead of the party’s primary election this year.

The party added that supporters, stoking divisiveness based on the aspirants, were clearly working to the advantage of the APC and President Bola Tinubu.

The ADC’s national publicity secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, who disclosed this in Abuja yesterday added that he had engaged former vice president Atiku Abubakar; former Labour Party candidate in the 2023 elections Mr Peter Obi and former governor of Rivers State Rotimi Amaechi on the need to strengthen unity, focus and shared commitment that would guarantee victory in the forthcoming elections.

He also said he met with the likes of former Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, over the matter.

The party spokesman also said if the 2027 elections was held this year, as being proposed, it would offer a double-edged sword for it.

Abdullahi said while the party would struggle to heal wounds and prepare for the polls if elections are conducted this year, an earlier election would also work for the ADC because Nigerians are tired of the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.

Recall that supporters of Atiku and Obi had in recent weeks been at loggerheads ahead of the party primary election.

While Obi supporters are calling for the former vice president to step down and support the former Anambra State governor’s candidacy, Atiku supporters insist that he remains the candidate to beat, arguing that all aspirants must test their mettle at the primaries.

But speaking on the issue, Abdullahi said,” I spent time talking to His Excellency Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi who have indicated interests to vying for the presidential ticket of our party as well as the likes of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai to strengthen our party and unite it and, the general consensus seems to be that we have a job to do to make this country a better place.

“Our leaders are all aware of the task ahead and everyone of them is committed to ensuring that we win this election .”

On the proposal for the 2027 elections , the ADC spokesman said ,” whether the elections take place this year or next year it will be a double work for us and also work against us. It will work against us because as an opposition  we need time to heal wounds after our primaries because we cannot afford to go into a bruised primaries and quickly put ourselves together for the elections. So on that note, we prefer next year, on the other hand, holding an election the advantage we will have is that people are already tired of this administration , but in all of these we are not in a position to decide when that election should hold but that is the truth .

” Let me also say this , those supporting this divisiveness by supporters of any of the aspirants should stop what they are doing because they are clearly working to the advantage of the APC and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“Saying it is either this candidate or nothing is not helpful because getting the ticket alone means nothing ,what is important is winning the election and we cannot carry this divisiveness and expect to win .

“We believe that all our aspirants are eminently qualified and vilifying anybody or any region is not helpful and will make it more difficult . We are going to commence the process of strethening and having our leaders speak unity amongst themselves .

” We are going to ignore people cresting exceptionality and we going to focus on what we are doing because we want to win this elections .

” Those shouting Peter Obi or nothing are equally not helping him. They are preaching division and they are not selling him. They are not  providing the room for people to  support him from other places , they should stop making other people to take hard stances because everyone needs to be on board for us to win this election.”

The party spokesman also said it is taking the forthcoming Federal Capital Territory elections seriously , stressing that it did not do well in the Anambra off-season elections ,therefore would want to make the statement .

It also expressed concerns that Lagos State Government was comparing civil servants with the National Identification Number to register as members of the APC.