The national publicity secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Bolaji Abdullahi, has claimed that Rotimi Amaechi, former minister of transportation, once threatened to leave the party over what he described as the “pampering of Peter Obi”, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP).
Abdullahi made the allegation during an interview with Symfoni TV on YouTube on Thursday.
He was responding to Obi’s claim that “internal battles, endless court cases and uncertainties over the party’s future” influenced his decision to exit the party on May 3 for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), alongside Rabiu Kwankwaso, former governor of Kano state.
According to Abdullahi, Obi was not in a position to make such claims against the ADC, insisting that he enjoyed more privileges than other opposition figures during his time in the coalition.
He said the preferential treatment given to Obi once led Amaechi to raise concerns with David Mark, the ADC national chairman, accusing the party leadership of making excessive concessions to the former Anambra governor.
“There was a time Amaechi went to ADC national chairman David Mark and was threatening to leave the party because the ADC was pampering Peter Obi and that he was conceding everything to Obi,” Abdullahi said.
He further stated that Obi was allowed to nominate individuals into key party positions, including the national working committee, as part of efforts to ensure inclusiveness within the coalition.
“I had two deputies under me, and one was nominated by Peter Obi. Amaechi and Atiku can’t point at anybody they nominated in the NWC. The national organising secretary was a Peter Obi man,” he said.
Abdullahi added that other party stakeholders, including Osita Chidoka, had initially been considered for leadership roles but were displaced following Obi’s involvement in the coalition arrangements.
He explained that the decision to accommodate Obi’s choices was deliberate, as the party believed in broadening participation within coalition politics.
“Many questioned why we gave Obi such privileges, but it’s because we recognised that politics is a game of additions, and if we have to make some concessions that are not going to kill anybody, then we have to make them,” he said.
He maintained that Obi should not be the one complaining about marginalisation within the party, given the level of influence he reportedly enjoyed.
Abdullahi also dismissed suggestions that the ADC is controlled by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, insisting the claim is false.
He further criticised the current administration, alleging that state governors are diverting federal allocations for political campaign purposes ahead of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
He also accused some government actors of undermining public trust in the judiciary, describing it as increasingly seen as an extension of the executive arm.