2027: ADC will bleed after Atiku secures party’s ticket - Baba-Ahmed

Says Obi’s political style does not align with competitive party primaries

Obi can only be ADC’s presidential candidate if Atiku steps down — Umar Ardo

Emeka Agu Jnr with agency report

Former presidential adviser, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has predicted that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) could suffer an implosion if former Vice President Atiku Abubakar secures the party’s presidential ticket for the 2027 general election.

Baba-Ahmed made the assertion on Tuesday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he spoke on the dynamics within the coalition-backed party and the ambitions of its leading figures.

According to him, Atiku is strongly positioned to emerge as the ADC’s flag bearer if the party conducts a national convention, a development he believes would trigger an exodus of aggrieved aspirants and supporters.

“If ADC goes to convention, and it certainly will, because that’s what former Vice President Atiku wants, he will get the ticket,” Baba-Ahmed said.

“And then, a lot of people will walk out because a lot of people are in that party only for the same thing. They want the ticket.”

He argued that the ADC is currently accommodating several high-profile political actors whose interests are bound to clash once the process of selecting a presidential candidate begins.

Baba-Ahmed also referenced the posture of former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, suggesting that Obi’s political style does not align with competitive party primaries.

“One of the reasons Peter Obi is saying, ‘Look at me, I’m not here for number two, I’m not here for convention, I’m here to fly the flag,’ is that he has people who were initially whispering politely to him,” he said. “But now they are saying, ‘Join the queue. You’re not the only one with ambition here.’”

He added that Obi was accustomed to being adopted as a consensus candidate rather than contesting against multiple aspirants.

“Peter Obi doesn’t do convention. He just goes there to be anointed,” Baba-Ahmed said, suggesting that such expectations could fuel tensions within the ADC.

The former presidential adviser concluded that the outcome of the party’s convention could destabilise the coalition.

 “So, the ADC will bleed after its convention because almost certainly former Vice President Atiku will win the ticket, and when he does, some people will walk out,” he said.

Meanwhile, the convener of the League of Northern Democrats, Umar Ardo, believes the 2023 Presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, does not stand a chance to get the presidential ticket of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) if ex-vice president Atiku Abubakar does not step down.

Ardo spoke on Tuesday’s edition of Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, arguing that Atiku is poised to pick the ADC ticket for the 2027 election ahead of the ex-Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate.

“Well, the ADC, as it is currently constituted, if it goes for primaries a hundred times, Atiku will win a hundred times. There is absolutely no doubt about that. How Peter Obi and his supporters reaction is what will determine the election,” Ardo said on the breakfast show.

“I am not saying that Peter Obi cannot be the candidate of the party; however, he can only be the candidate of the party if Atiku steps down,” he stated.

The former governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Adamawa, however, said Obi’s influence makes him an asset to the ADC.

He said that because the ex-Anambra governor “controls more than six million votes,” the ADC wants “him there to make the party strong so that the party will win the election” in 2027.