Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in the 2023 presidential elections, Dumebi Kachikwu, has warned the Labour Party’s 2023 standard-bearer in the same election, Peter Obi, not to accept a joint ticket with ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 general election.
Kachikwu gave the warning at a press conference held in Abuja on Thursday.
He described such an alliance as politically immoral, especially in light of Nigeria’s power rotation dynamics.
“It is morally right for anybody from a major party running for 2027 to be from the South. It is equitable. That is all we ask,” he said.
The ADC chieftain accused northern political actors of plotting to retain power in the region despite knowing that the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, a northerner, spent eight years in office before the current administration.
“In the last two weeks, they have been boasting, insulting, and saying they want to chase President Bola Tinubu from office. The question I always ask people around me is, at the end of all the insults being passed on to the president, what next?” he asked.
Kachikwu also questioned the credibility and vision of some opposition elements, whom he accused of focusing solely on ousting Tinubu without offering concrete policy alternatives.
“Have you heard these men who hijacked the ADC tell you what they plan to do about the economy, infrastructural deficit and healthcare? The former president died a few days ago in a London hospital.
“We have not heard any of them address the situation and what they will do concerning this challenge. All they are interested in is ‘President Tinubu has got to go,’” he said.
He further expressed concern over alleged attempts to manipulate Obi into accepting a vice-presidential slot under Atiku.
“Instead, what we are seeing is them recruiting people around Peter Obi to keep singing into his ears that he can’t do it. They are striving to convince him to instead accept to become Atiku’s vice presidential candidate.
“What manner of rubbish is that? He must not accept it. That is their strategy,” he said.
Backing Obi’s credentials to stand independently, Kachikwu stated, “Obi has all it takes to aspire and win an election. He has the brain. They told me too that as an Igbo man, I don’t have what it takes to become president. Why? Don’t I pay my taxes? So why can’t I aspire for the highest office in the land?”
He stressed that any political coalition aimed at unseating Tinubu must originate from the South and be grounded in equity and national unity.
Kachikwu also slammed efforts to hijack the ADC structure through inducements, alleging that some state chairmen were being offered bribes to step down.
“They are offering some of the state chairmen as much as N20,000,000 to resign their positions, which goes to show that their intentions are not honourable,” he alleged.
According to him, even if such payoffs succeeded, the party’s constitution would still not permit outsiders to assume those positions, rendering the plot futile.
He accused Atiku of orchestrating the scheme for personal gain, citing historical instances to back his claims.
Kachikwu added, “He almost truncated President Obasanjo’s return for a second term because he believed the seat was his. President Jonathan suffered the same fate. It was most unjust and unfair and led to the current disintegration of that party.”
“He can then support any southern candidate of his choice. But I know he will never do this. The ADC is not for sale and is not an old people’s home. This current political war is not our fight.
“If you want to pursue your political ambition, stay and solve the problem in your party… I stayed to build my party; they should also stay and build theirs,” he warned.
