ADC, NDC Rift Deepens As Atiku, Obi Camps Trade Blame

The festering animosity between the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has intensified, with the ADC Presidential Campaign Council accusing Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of attacking its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, instead of confronting President Bola Tinubu over Nigeria’s worsening crises.

The latest exchange underscores the deepening rift between the opposition camps amid calls for Atiku to step down for the NDC presidential candidate, Peter Obi, ahead of the 2027 general election.

Kwankwaso, the NDC vice-presidential candidate, had come under fire from the ADC-PCC for repeatedly criticising Atiku, prompting the campaign council to question his political allegiance and accuse him of indirectly advancing the interests of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a statement on Sunday, ADC-PCC Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, said Kwankwaso’s response to its earlier criticism had failed to address the substance of its concerns.

The council faulted Kwankwaso for devoting much of his response to attacking the ADC while making only passing references to the APC and the Tinubu administration.

“Why is Senator Kwankwaso making our candidate the issue instead of confronting the ruling APC, whose policies have made life increasingly difficult for millions of Nigerians?” the council asked.

It argued that opposition leaders should focus on the economic hardship, insecurity, high fuel prices, naira depreciation and declining living standards confronting Nigerians rather than engaging in attacks on fellow opposition figures.

The ADC-PCC also challenged Kwankwaso to explain why his political criticisms appeared more frequently directed at Atiku and the ADC than at the ruling party.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the ADC cannot and will not be distracted by Senator Kwankwaso,” the council declared.

It further accused the NDC vice-presidential candidate of using attacks on the ADC to curry favour with the ruling party, challenging him to openly align with the APC if he shared its political agenda.

The council, however, maintained that the ADC remained focused on mobilising Nigerians behind its presidential candidate and presenting what it described as a credible alternative to the Tinubu administration in 2027.

The latest confrontation highlights the growing hostility between the opposition camps as the debate over whether Atiku should step aside for Obi threatens to deepen divisions among politicians seeking to unseat Tinubu.

With the ADC insisting on Atiku’s candidacy and the NDC fielding Obi, the dispute over opposition leadership and strategy is emerging as a major fault line in the contest for the presidency in 2027.