Senator Aminu Tambuwal, the immediate past Governor of Sokoto State, has responded to claims in the media that the reason political figures such as Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso left the African Democratic Congress (ADC) was that there were cracks in the party, news.ng reports.
Recall that a couple of weeks ago, Obi, a former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), and Kwankwaso, leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement and a former prominent figure in the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), both defected to the ADC before later leaving the party to join the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Meanwhile, Tambuwal, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, in an interview on Channels Television on Friday night, dismissed the assertion, saying that the two individuals, along with others, left the party of their own volition to test their popularity.
He said, “It was a matter of personal choices by Excellency Peter Obi and Excellency Distinguished Rabbi Akwankwaso to leave the ADC for NDC. I do not believe that it was out of any crack. I believe that they wanted to go to another platform for them possibly to test their popularity with the Nigerian people at the general elections.”
When asked if the leadership of the ADC had a pre-arranged agreement that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar would emerge as the party’s candidate for the 2027 presidential election, Tambuwal responded by denying that any such arrangement existed. He added that if they had remained in the party, a level playing field would have been provided.
“I didn’t hear either of them saying so. I didn’t hear Governor Peter Obie saying so.
“I didn’t hear Distinguished Senator Rabi Ukonkoso saying so. And if it is an assumption of any individual or observers, or public commentators, I believe that with Distinguished Senator David Mark on the saddle as chairman of ADC, a level playing field would have been provided. None of them who have left can question the integrity of the ADC,” he added.
Recall that on Thursday, both Atiku and Rotimi Amaechi, a former Governor of Rivers State, submitted their nomination forms in preparation for the party’s primary election.
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