Exiting ADC Because Of Primary Election Shows You’re Unfit To Lead Nigeria— Party Chieftain Tells Peter Obi.

The Deputy National Financial Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Oladimeji Fabiyi, has strongly defended the role of Atiku Abubakar in opposition coalition efforts, while accusing Peter Obi of abandoning the party out of fear of a fair primary contest.

Speaking on Politics Today on Tuesday, Fabiyi dismissed claims that the party was built around Atiku, insisting that the former vice president merely provided leadership in uniting opposition elements against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“Let me make this abundantly clear in this house, there's nothing to do with Atiku Abubakar,” Fabiyi said. “What Atiku simply did was to call for the convergence of all opposition elements. That’s his leadership. If they cannot give it to him, we will give it to him and he should give it to himself.”

Fabiyi argued that the coalition drive was motivated by concerns over Nigeria’s democracy under President Bola Tinubu, warning that opposition unity remains the only viable path to dislodging the current administration.

“He knew that the way the APC has started they will stop at nothing to destroy that democracy. And the only way this government of Tinubu can be pushed out is to bring all the opposition elements together,” he said.

The ADC chieftain took particular aim at Obi, describing his exit from the party as “cowardly” and rooted in an unwillingness to face Atiku in a transparent primary process.

“He left the party because he was so scared of Atiku Abubakar,” Fabiyi alleged. “Atiku Abubakar said let’s go into free, fair primaries and the next thing you can do is to run away? They should go and tell that to the marines.”

Fabiyi also rejected calls for consensus candidacy, insisting that the party would not accept what he termed a “coronation” of any aspirant.

“The law provided for two options either direct primaries or consensus. Now they want to bring in coronation. It’s not going to happen in our democratic lexicon,” he said.

“You are trying to lead a country of over 250 million and you are so scared to face a challenge of common primaries for me, it is below the belt.”

He further stressed that internal democracy within the ADC would be strictly upheld through competitive primaries, urging aspirants to test their popularity rather than seek automatic endorsements.