A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has accused former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, of avoiding internal party competition.
Lawal made the remarks on Tuesday during an appearance on Arise News PrimeTime, where he alleged that Obi’s reluctance to fully align with the ADC coalition stemmed from fear of contesting in party primaries.
“I think it’s fear. A politician who fears election has no business being one. Peter Obi does not want to participate in primaries; he prefers to be the consensus candidate, and that consensus must be him,” Lawal said.
He further claimed that the ADC is made up of political heavyweights with varying ambitions, stressing that the only fair approach is to ensure a level playing field for all aspirants.
“This is a political party of heavyweight—former this, former that—everybody has an ambition. The only way to make things easy is to create a level playing ground,” he added.
Lawal also alleged that Obi joined the ADC coalition after its formation had already progressed significantly, suggesting that his commitment to the party was uncertain from the outset.
“Peter Obi joined the ADC coalition long after it began; he had always been very shifty. We never felt his heart was in it,” he claimed.
According to him, the party leadership made considerable efforts to accommodate Obi, including concessions not extended to other members.
“We bent over backwards to accommodate Peter Obi; we felt he needed encouragement to stay in the party, and we asked him to bring the organising secretary of the party. This goodwill was not extended to any other member,” Lawal stated.
The comments add to ongoing political debates surrounding party alignments and strategies ahead of future elections, particularly as opposition figures continue to explore coalition-building efforts…Read_More…