Northern leaders are reportedly supporting former President Goodluck Jonathan to run for president again in 2027. This move is said to be aimed at weakening the chances of President Bola Tinubu, Peter Obi of the Labour Party, and other southern candidates.
Dumebi Kachikwu, the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), shared this claim during a press conference in Abuja.
He said some leaders in the North told Peter Obi that as an Igbo man, he would struggle to win votes there. They encouraged him to accept the role of vice president with the 2023 PDP candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Kachikwu also said the ADC’s lawyers have filed complaints over what he called an unfair takeover of the party by former Senate President David Mark and ex-Minister Rauf Aregbesola.
These leaders support Atiku’s bid for president. Since the ADC was launched as an opposition group in July, tensions have increased between northern and South-East members.
According to Kachikwu, some northern leaders often criticize President Tinubu’s government and spread false information about southern candidates. He added that Jonathan is being positioned to attract Obi’s support by offering him an important government role.
He warned that Nigerians lose when merit and fairness are ignored. Kachikwu accused Atiku and some northern elites of wanting to keep power despite their failure to improve education and fight poverty in the North.
Kachikwu urged Nigerians to reject Atiku and his allies, accusing them of lacking fairness and justice. He also claimed Atiku’s group has taken control of ADC offices across the country, turning it into a “one-man power grab.”
In response, Atiku’s media aide, Paul Ibe, denied these claims and said Kachikwu is working for Tinubu’s APC party.
Ibe described Atiku as a leader who looks beyond religion and region and blamed the Tinubu administration for the country’s problems. He insisted the ADC coalition is united and wants to give Nigerians a strong alternative to the APC.
ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the coalition is legally solid and challenged anyone to provide proof if the party has broken any rules.
