The spokesman for Nigeria’s opposition coalition has strongly denied reports suggesting that Labour Party’s Peter Obi has departed from the political alliance.
Speaking in a recent interview with Channels Television, coalition spokesman Bolajia Abdullahi clarified that Obi remains an active member of the group despite not yet holding a card-carrying membership in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which serves as the coalition’s adopted party.
“Peter Obi has been part of the coalition from day one,” Abdullahi emphasized during the broadcast. “Peter Obi has attended almost every meeting of the coalition.”
The spokesman explained that Obi’s absence from formal ADC membership stems from ongoing commitments within his current party rather than any intention to leave the coalition. According to Abdullahi, Obi requested time to fulfill existing obligations within the Labour Party before making the transition.
“The reason Peter Obi has not come into the ADC as a card-carrying member was because he asked for leave to allow him to complete the election that his people were involved in the Labour Party,” Abdullahi stated.
He noted that similar arrangements were made for other prominent political figures, including former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who was granted the same consideration by coalition leadership.
“The same thing applied to Mallam Nasir El-Rufai – and they were allowed by the leadership to complete the election processes that they started in their respective parties before they come into the ADC,” the spokesman added.
The clarification comes amid speculation about the stability of the opposition coalition and the commitment of its key members ahead of future electoral contests.
