The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has expressed concern over the political relationship between former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi as parties intensify early positioning ahead of the 2027 general election.

Speaking during an interview on Arise Television’s The Morning Show on Friday, the ADC spokesperson, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the party views the unresolved dynamic between the two opposition figures as a challenge with potential implications for the broader political landscape.
Abdullahi said, “I may not describe the situation in such superlative terms to say that it is the greatest threat to democracy at the moment. But is it a conundrum? Yes. Is it a challenge? Yes. Is it something we are concerned about? Yes.”

He noted that although the matter has attracted significant public interest, the ADC is currently preoccupied with consolidating its organisational structure nationwide rather than focusing on presidential candidates.
According to him, Nobody in ADC at this time is having a conversation about who the presidential candidates will be.

“We have so much work to do, to establish our presence, to be in a position to contest elections in all the 36 states of the Federation and the FCT. So, this has preoccupied us. But we know that is an issue we have to deal with.
Abdullahi said the party is exploring possible approaches for determining its 2027 presidential flagbearer, including a consensus arrangement,” he said, explaining that if consensus proves unachievable, the party would open the contest to all aspirants.
“The most important thing at this time is, when we get to that point, we’ll try to engineer a consensus, which is an option for us. But if we are not able to reach a consensus, then we’ll possibly just open it up for everyone to contest. And it’s not just about Atiku and Peter Obi,” he said.

He stressed that the field remains wider than the two well-known opposition figures, adding, “There are other people who are also interested in contesting the presidential race. We have to make allowance that it’s not a settled case between just Atiku and Peter Obi.”
Abdullahi further disclosed that the ADC is in ongoing discussions with other political parties as part of efforts to forge a broader coalition ahead of the 2027 elections.