The National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Bolaji Abdullahi, has alleged that former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, once threatened to leave the opposition coalition over concerns that the party leadership was favouring Peter Obi to be its 2027 flagbearer.
Abdullahi made the disclosure during an interview with Symfoni TV on Thursday amid ongoing discussions about internal power dynamics within the opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
He narrated how Amaechi confronted the coalition’s national chairman over what he believed was preferential treatment being extended to Obi within the alliance.
According to the party spokesman, “There was a time that His Excellency Rotimi Amaechi went to the national chairman and was threatening to leave the coalition.
“He felt that the chairman was pandering to Peter Obi, that he was conceding everything to Peter Obi.”
Abdullahi dismissed claims that Obi had been sidelined within the coalition, insisting that the former Anambra State governor had instead been granted considerable influence within the party structure.
He revealed that one of his deputies was nominated by Obi, while the position of National Organising Secretary was also handed to Obi’s camp as part of efforts to integrate him into the coalition.
He added that the arrangement came at a political cost to former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, who had reportedly been positioning himself for the role before Obi joined the alliance.
“Before Peter Obi joined the coalition, you had people like Osita Chidoka working very hard for coalition building. He was hoping to be the National Organising Secretary.
“But when Peter Obi came, in order to bring him in and give him a sense of belonging, that’s how we lost Osita Chidoka because we gave that position to Peter Obi to nominate,” he said.
Abdullahi further stated that Obi was allowed to nominate other individuals into party structures as part of broader political concessions aimed at strengthening the coalition.
He went on to defend the concessions, describing politics as “a game of addition”, stressing that “the more people we are able to lock in, and if we have to make some concessions that are not going to kill anybody, then we have to make those concessions.”
The ADC spokesman maintained that Obi had no grounds to complain about marginalisation or a toxic political atmosphere within the coalition.
“If anybody should be complaining of toxic environment or marginalisation within the party, no, no, no. I don’t think His Excellency Peter Obi, given what I know to be the truth,” Abdullahi said.
