Obi, Kwankwaso To Leave ADC Monday, Says Galadima
Former Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), and a close ally of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Buba Galadima, has said former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and Kwankwaso, who was NNPP’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, would leave African Democratic Party (ADC) and announce a new political platform on Monday.
Galadima disclosed this on Saturday at a stakeholders’ meeting organised by the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement in Abuja.
Following uncertainties in the ADC as a result of several court cases against its leadership, Obi and Kwankwaso supporters who have floated OK Movement for the duo have said their principals must move to another party if they must contest the 2027 elections.
The Kwankwasiyya movement, a political umbrella of Kwankwaso, had earlier stated that the two politicians would move to the newly registered Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as soon as possible as there’s no time.
The Kwankwasiyya had said, “Both Obi, Kwankwaso and their chieftains were on ground between yesterday and this morning signing the relevant documents with Senator Dickson and the NDC leaders.
“We don’t want a repeat of what happened in the ADC to occur again. We discovered late that Atiku and his loyalists lured our leaders to that opposition party to fulfil only one single mission – Atiku’s presidential ambition.
“All is now set. Both Obi and Kwankwaso will announce their defection from the ADC on Monday.”
Speaking during the meeting, Galadima said, “As from Monday, when our leaders declare on which platform they will run, I want to tell you that one of two things will happen. And I’m here to guide you on your response to what will happen.
“First, they will sponsor columnists. Two, they will deploy social media influencers to start attacking our candidates. For all of you who are on social media and those you with the mighty pen, you must be prepared to respond to anything they are going to say.
“Anything under the sun that they may say about our leaders that we know very well, people of integrity and honour, we must come to them with the ferociousness that is needed of an intelligent man,” he added.
The NNPP chieftain further urged, “For all of you who are on social media and those with the mighty pen, you must be prepared to respond to anything they are going to say.
“I’m sorry to bring up something that is not on the table, but I’m doing it as an example. If you have been following the US and the Iran war, you will remember that the US and Israel attacked first, and Iran responded.
“The analogy I’m going to draw here is that don’t call anybody any name until they call our leaders names. Then we will respond with the greatest might of intellect in us. These are people who are living in their comfort zones, and they want to start a war. We will help them add kerosene. We are already lying flat on the floor. Are we afraid to fall? So over to them.”
Galadima alleged that opposition leaders have faced sustained repression, claiming that security agencies had maligned and detained them as part of an initial phase of ongoing suppression.
He further argued that a second phase involved the systematic weakening of opposition platforms, listing parties such as the SDP, PDP, ADC, NDP and PRP as having been “decimated.”
He warned that the situation could escalate further, alleging that desperate political actors might resort to extreme measures, including targeting opposition figures.
Also speaking at the event, Isaac Fayose, brother of former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, expressed support for the proposed Obi-Kwankwaso alliance, describing it as a viable alternative.
“I am not a politician and don’t need to join your political party. But let me say that O-K (Obi-Kwankwaso) is okay for me. And I am ready to lead.
“In the last election in Lagos, I was the returning officer in Ibeju-Lekki. They came with so many things. But at the end of the day, the votes were so much that they couldn’t change the results.
“This time, I can tell you that we have already won in 28 out of 36 states. These 28 are already O-K. They are ready to vote. So it is up to them to say this time, you can’t steal our votes. And we have to be ready for that because it is easy to vote.
“Election is always like garri. By the time you put water, come back the next day, the garri will rise. This time, our garri will not swell up. As they are putting water, we will be drinking it like that. We have to be strong in a country where we have N70,000 as minimum wage,” he stated.
Activist Aisha Yesufu, who also addressed the gathering, called for unity across ethnic and regional lines, urging Nigerians to prioritise national cohesion over division.
“It is time for us to become a nation that is working. The next time they say to you that this is an Igbo, Hausa or Yoruba person, tell them indeed, we are all Nigerians,” she said.
“Today, I will say to you all that the education and voices we have are not for us alone. They are for millions of others who didn’t have the opportunities that we have. If not, at the end of the day, we will be asked questions.
“We must unite right now. When they tell you about the generational hatred, ask them, where did it lead you to? Where has it also led Nigeria? We are brothers and sisters. We must not forget that,” she urged supporters.
Obi, Kwankwaso To Leave ADC Monday, Says Galadima is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
