Former presidential aide, Bashir Ahmad, has criticised Peter Obi over alleged plans to dump the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the National Democratic Coalition (NDC).
Speculations about Obi’s possible defection have intensified following the recent Supreme Court judgment that ended the prolonged leadership crisis within the ADC. Although no official confirmation has been issued by Obi or his camp, some political observers believe he may be weighing a move to the NDC in the wake of the ruling.
In a post on his X handle on Saturday, Ahmad suggested that such a move, if true, would reflect an attempt to avoid internal party competition.
“Reports and indications suggest that Peter Obi and his blind supporters are reconsidering another political move away from their current platform, the ADC,” he wrote.
“The question here is whether Peter is leaving to escape standing against other aspirants within his party. It is the same path he once embraced in 2022 leading to the 2023 presidential election,” he added.
He further argued that party primaries remain a key test of democratic strength and leadership credibility.
“If a political figure appears so afraid to test their popularity within their own party structure, it naturally leads to questions about how they intend to build the broad national consensus required to lead a country as diverse and complex as Nigeria,” Ahmad stated.
He maintained that internal party contests are fundamental to democracy, adding that difficulty in competing within a party raises broader questions about national leadership capacity.
“Party primaries are a fundamental pillar of democracy. If Peter struggles to compete fairly among fellow aspirants within his party, it becomes difficult to convincingly argue that he can unify and lead an entire nation with diverse interests and strong political contenders,” he said.
As of the time of filing this report, Peter Obi has not publicly reacted to the defection speculation.
