Former Sokoto State Governor, Senator Aminu Tambuwal, has dismissed claims that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is facing an internal crisis.
He insisted that the high-profile exit of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was driven strictly by personal decisions rather than divisions within the political party.
The exit of these two opposition heavyweights, along with several federal lawmakers, had recently triggered heavy speculation that serious cracks were forming within the ADC-led coalition as the general elections draw closer.
However, while speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, Senator Tambuwal debunked the crisis narrative.
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He argued that the two politicians simply wanted a different platform to leverage their popularity.
“I do not believe that it was out of any crack. I believe that they wanted to go to another platform for them to possibly test their popularity with the Nigerian people at the general elections,” Tambuwal stated.
The high-profile departures had caused many political commentators to allege that the ADC’s presidential structure was already skewed to favor former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, implying that the party’s ultimate direction had been predetermined.
Addressing these allegations directly, Tambuwal strongly denied that the ADC was tailored to favor Atiku. He pointed out that neither Obi nor Kwankwaso had made any official accusations of bias against the party leadership.
“I didn’t hear Governor Peter Obi saying so, I didn’t hear Distinguished Rabiu Kwankwaso saying so,” he noted.
He further emphasized that the presence of former Senate President David Mark at the helm of affairs guaranteed absolute fairness for all contestants.
“And if it is an assumption of any individual, observers or public commentators, I believe that with Distinguished Senator David Mark on the saddle as chairman of ADC, a level playing field would have been provided,” Tambuwal added, maintaining that none of the defectors could genuinely question Mark’s credibility or fairness.
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Defending the inclusivity of the party, the former Sokoto Governor insisted that no stakeholder or member was left out of key decision-making processes within the ADC structure.
To back up his point, he revealed that Peter Obi was even allowed to nominate a key member of the national executive before his exit.
”And stakeholder involvement is very clear in ADC. Former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, was given an opportunity to bring the National Organising Secretary of the party,” Tambuwal revealed.
He challenged critics to point out any Atiku loyalist holding a strategic administrative position within the party hierarchy to prove allegations of an internal plot.
”Tell me who is it that is at the party that is clearly an Atiku person who is manning either the office of the National Chairman, or the National Secretary, or the Organising Secretary or the legal adviser of the party that is there,” he questioned.
Concluding his defense of the party’s transparency, Tambuwal reiterated: ”But Peter Obi was given National Organising Secretary, the heartbeat, the engine room of the party. And he brought the current National Organising Secretary of the party.”
