•Peter Obi
Fresh cracks appear to be emerging within the coalition led by the African Democratic Congress, following a leaked memo from the Obidient Movement to Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
In the memo, Obidients raised the alarm over alleged marginalisation of members in key decision-making processes, reports The PUNCH.
The ADC was unveiled on July 2, 2025, as a coalition party to unseat President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
At the event were the interim national chairman, David Mark, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Obi, former Governor Nasir El-Rufai, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, among others.
Barely one month after its unveiling, Obi has yet to formally join the party, though the interim national publicity secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the party had given him and El-Rufai the waiver to remain in their legacy parties for now.
In a document dated July 29, 2025, and signed by the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Dr Tanko Yunusa, the group accused the coalition of marginalising its members despite their pivotal role in strengthening the political bloc.
The memo obtained by our correspondent read, “We write on behalf of the Obidient Movement to express our severe grievances regarding recent developments within the coalition’s systems.
“Our people are deliberately excluded at all levels. While we remain committed to the shared vision of building a united and formidable front for the task ahead, we must raise the following issues that our members have repeatedly flagged.”
Listing their grievances, Tanko cited lack of inclusion in major deliberations.
According to him, none of Obi’s loyalists was deemed good enough to share a table with the ADC decision makers.
“Several of our designated representatives and members are reportedly being excluded from crucial meetings where major decisions affecting the coalition are made.
“This creates an impression of marginalisation and undermines trust, which is essential for building a sustainable partnership,” he lamented.
The Obidients also faulted what was described as “non-existent representation,” insisting the coalition’s current structure did not reflect its strength and contribution.
The movement coordinator, therefore, urged Obi to wade into the matter without delay.
“The current structure does not reflect the Obidient Movement’s strength and contribution to this coalition.
“We strongly believe that there should be at least one working committee member and one non-working committee member representing the Obidient Movement in each geopolitical zone,” the memo stressed.
“We believe these measures are crucial to building trust and repositioning the coalition for success.
“We look forward to you resolving this with the party leadership in the spirit of the new Nigeria we want to build.”
The development is already generating ripples among stakeholders, with fears that the rift, if unresolved, could undermine the coalition’s chances ahead of the 2027 polls.
