… Obi, Kwankwaso Meet NDC Leaders
ABUJA — The crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC) deepened on Sunday as former Anambra State governor, Mr Peter Obi, and former Kano State governor, Senator Musa Kwankwaso, moved closer to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) after arriving at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja and holding talks with its leaders.
Obi and Kwankwaso, both former presidential candidates, were received by cheering supporters as they arrived at the NDC secretariat for a closed-door meeting with party leaders led by former Bayelsa State governor, Senator Seriake Dickson, who is the National Leader of the NDC.
Their appearance at the NDC secretariat came amid mounting pressure on the ADC, which has been battling internal crisis, legal disputes and a lingering leadership tussle.
Earlier, Obi had formally announced his resignation from the ADC, blaming what he described as worsening internal crisis, external interference and a toxic political environment.
In a statement issued on his behalf by his media aide, Valentine Obienyem, Obi said Nigeria’s political space had become increasingly hostile, marked by intimidation, insecurity and pressure on individuals committed to genuine public service.
He said his decision to leave the party was not informed by personal grievances against the ADC National Chairman, Senator David Mark, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar or any other respected party leader.
Obi, however, cited internal division, legal disputes and the infiltration of destabilising forces within the party as reasons for his exit.
According to him, the challenges within the ADC mirrored the type of crisis he encountered in the Labour Party, making meaningful political engagement increasingly difficult.
The development also puts Kwankwaso firmly within the unfolding wave of defections from the ADC, following his appearance alongside Obi at the NDC secretariat, where both leaders met with the party hierarchy.
Their movement comes on the heels of the defection of former Adamawa State governorship candidate, Senator Aisha Dahiru, popularly known as Binani, who dumped the ADC for the NDC.
Binani had said her decision was based on consultations with her supporters and her belief that the NDC offers structured, policy-driven governance, internal democracy, fairness and inclusion.
Also, Rep. Leke Abejide, member representing Yagba Federal Constituency of Kogi State, recently resigned from the ADC, blaming prolonged internal crisis, leadership uncertainty and what he described as the hijack of the party by vested interests.
Abejide, one of the prominent elected figures on the ADC platform, said the party had become too unstable for his political future and insisted he left voluntarily.
The latest developments have further exposed the depth of the internal turmoil in the ADC, which is still struggling with a leadership dispute involving the David Mark-led camp and the Nafiu Bala Gombe faction.
The crisis has triggered a series of court cases that left the party’s structure in uncertainty.
On April 30, the Supreme Court set aside the Court of Appeal’s order directing parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum in the dispute.
The apex court held that the appellate court overreached itself by issuing the preservatory order and directed the parties to return to the Federal High Court for hearing of the substantive suit challenging the emergence of the Mark-led executives.
Although the Supreme Court did not make a final pronouncement on the substantive leadership question, the judgment removed the immediate legal restraint that had clouded the Mark-led camp.
Following the ruling, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, updated its records to reflect Senator David Mark as National Chairman and former Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola, as National Secretary of the ADC.
However, with top figures continuing to exit the party, the crisis appears far from over, raising fresh questions about the ADC’s stability and future ahead of the 2027 political contest.