A fresh wave of political realignment has hit the opposition camp as former presidential candidates Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, alongside some National Assembly members, dumped the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
The defectors cited a mix of internal crises, including multiple court cases and disagreements over party structure, as reasons for their exit. However, the development has quickly sparked a blame game within the opposition.
During an appearance on Politics Today on Channels Television, a lawmaker representing Nnewi North, Nnewi South, and Ekwusigo, Chris Uzokwe, alleged that the influence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar played a major role in their departure.
According to him, Atiku laid claim to the coalition and the ADC, creating an environment where other stakeholders felt sidelined.
“We left because he said the coalition was formed in his house and that the party was his,” Uzokwe stated, adding that personal ambition had long been a destabilising factor within opposition politics.
He went further to blame Atiku’s political ambitions for the challenges that plagued the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), suggesting a pattern of internal discord.
But not everyone agrees with that narrative.
ADC chieftain Musa Matara Fabiyi dismissed the claims, accusing the defectors—particularly Obi—of avoiding internal challenges rather than confronting them.
“Peter Obi is not someone who likes to face challenges,” Fabiyi said, insisting that the party, not any individual, should be the focus of loyalty and reform.
The crisis marks a sharp turn for the ADC, which had only in June 2025 been adopted as the platform for a broad opposition coalition aimed at challenging President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections.
That coalition brought together several heavyweights, including Rotimi Amaechi, Rauf Aregbesola, and David Mark. However, less than a year later, internal disputes, legal battles, and leadership struggles have weakened the alliance.
The ADC has, in turn, accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of attempting to destabilise the opposition—an allegation the presidency has rejected.
With the 2027 elections drawing closer, the latest defections highlight deep fractures within the opposition and signal a rapidly shifting political landscape, where alliances are being tested and recalibrated in real time.
