•Atiku
A member of the Action Democratic Congress (ADC), Chille Igbawua has dismissed claims that ADC is being tailored to serve the political ambition of the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.
Igbawua made this known today on Channels Television.
“We have sufficiently over the time denied this issue that the ADC is a special purpose vehicle for Atiku Abubakar. That certainly is untrue because nobody who has come into the ADC has been given preference over him.
“To confirm that, Atiku Abubakar himself has said that he will contest this as his last attempt at the presidency and that should somebody else win, he is very willing to support such a person. So, I don’t know what else people are expected to say that should comfort those who are contesting,” Igbawua said.
His comments come amid the defection of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso from the ADC on Sunday to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
In a press statement on X, Peter Obi cited ‘endless court cases, internal battles, suspicion, and division, instead of focusing on deeper national problems as reasons he left’.
Igbawua also noted the reality is that both of them have issued statements, and it would be unfair for him not being their spokesperson to fault them on what they have said.
“Peter Obi has said that he has not been maltreated by either the National Chairman or by the other contestants by reference to Atiku Abubakar.
“So, I can say I’m sufficiently an insider enough to know if discussions were held towards deciding who was going to emerge, the certainty about who will emerge is that it will be through a transparent and open process,” he added.
Still on the breakfast show, Igbawua noted that clarity on who will emerge as the party’s candidate will come through a transparent and open process.
He further stated the party was surprised when they heard rumours of them leaving the party.
“We were surprised but they have come out to explain themselves. I think we should believe that the things we have said are the things they mean but the things they have not said are the things they may mean.
“The fact remains that from the perspective of the political party there is nothing that should cause concern to anybody who is a member and who is aspiring to the office of president. As far as I can know now, we are aware that all the problems of the ADC are externally engineered, but we are overcoming them one by one,” Igbawua noted.
