A major crisis seems to be brewing in Nigeria’s newly formed coalition under the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as clash of interests of its key promoters appears to be at the head of the perceived crisis.

Sources told BusinessDay that many of the coalition leaders are having second thoughts about continuing with the group over the alleged insistence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to pick the ADC ticket for the 2027 presidential election.

In recent days, complaints have begun to emerge that it appears that the group was being packaged for Atiku with many of the founders and his loyalists at the forefront of those championing the plan.

Such development has not gone down with some leaders, especially those who just joined the coalition. Many in the coalition are insisting that power should remain in the Southern part of Nigeria, after the eight straight years of the late President Muhammadu Buhari.

There are growing fears among political watchers that the clash of interests, if not urgently resolved could significantly scuttle the chances of the ADC and the coalition in 2027.

According to an insider in the ADC, such was the case even before the public launch of the coalition, when the presidential ambitions of key leaders, Atiku, Peter Obi, and former minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi delayed the decision either to register a new party or adopt the ADC.

A few days ago, there were indications that the ADC was experiencing internal wrangling over the individual ambitions of the arrowheads that recently joined the party.

Some of the original members of the party are alleging that outsiders have invaded their party and are intent on hijacking it.

Fear deepens

Reports had it that key figures in the party, including Nasir El-Rufai, are not comfortable with Atiku Abubakar’s insistence on running for President in 2027 on the party’s platform.

El-Rufai, who championed a Southern presidential candidate in the 2023 election has continued to insist that the presidency must remain in the South until 2031.

But Atiku’s ambition, even though yet-to-be made public, has continued to weaken the party as a coalition platform.

Many are now seeing his membership of the ADC as solely to pursue his personal ambition of actualising his 2027 presidential ambition.

Katch Ononuju, a member of the coalition in the ADC, recently expressed strong doubts over the workability of the coalition in the face of divergent interests.

He was quoted as saying that “It is now getting clearer that Atiku Abubakar’s ambitions will make it impossible for the emergence of a Southern candidate on the platform of the ADC in 2027 presidential election.

“This was exactly what played out in 2023 that led the Obidient group in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), to abandon the part’ for the Labour Party in 2023.”

It was gathered that Amaechi and the League of Northern Democrats (LND) insisted on the registration of ADA.

Sources say that Atiku’s ambition was tearing the ADC apart with many members increasingly unhappy about his alleged decision to contest the presidential ticket in 2027.

“We are worried if Atiku is bent on contesting, there has to be a way the leaders must resolve the issue or many members of ADC may think the coalition is just for him. You know, he has always wanted to have his way in matters concerning the ticket of his party.

“But for this to work this time around, everyone must agree, because he needs these people, he can’t win the election alone,” a leader in ADC, who did not want his name in print, told BusinessDay.

But Atiku’s close associates have insisted that he was free like any other Nigerians to contest, saying that he would not drop his ambition.

Age can’t stop Atiku- Oladimeji

Speaking recently on BusinessDay Television’s (BDTV), Inside Politics, Fabiyi Oladimeji, a close aide to the former Vice President Atiku said that age can’t stop Atiku from contesting the 2027 presidential election.

He dismissed the insinuation that the presidential ticket of ADC was zoned to any region, noting that Atiku was free like any other Nigerian to contest.

“Atiku is a Nigerian, he is free to contest; anyone who thinks he can defeat him let him come for primary. For some people to be saying Atiku should not contest because of age or zoning is wrong,” Oladimeji said.

North-South zoning must continue

Meanwhile, many political watchers who spoke to BusinessDay, said that it was imperative that the presidency remains in the South to complete the North-South rotation arrangement of eight years.

Similarly, it was gathered that ex-governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, is also said to be confused with the situation, especially with the large number of people who have told him that power should remain in the south.

Reports say El-Rufai, who championed a southern presidential candidate in the 2023 election, is becoming uncomfortable with Atiku’s insistence on running for president in 2027 on the party’s platform.

But some political analysts have dismissed reports that El-Rufai is not supporting Atiku’s bid for the presidency, they noted that since both of them worked hard to finalise the coalition it would be a surprise to see him turn his back at Atiku.

“It is not true that El-Rufai is not backing Atiku, who is he backing then, is it Obi? Did you not see them together all the time before they launched the coalition, how come it is now that he would just leave Atiku for someone else?

“They were close before, don’t forget that they worked together in Obasanjo’s administration, don’t conclude yet,” a source in the ADC coalition told BusinessDay.

Reports before the coalition was launched which indicated that Atiku had chosen Peter Obi as his running mate for the 2027 general election seems to have failed, with Atiku unable to get another alternative running mate from the South-east.

Many pundits have predicted that Atiku could work with Amaechi as his running mate, or with Emeka Ihedioha, Osita Chidoka, and other potential running mates from the South-East, but it is believed that those politicians are not keen on being Atiku’s running mate due to concern about the adverse effects of being seen to be working against Obi.

Some weeks ago, Obi had announced publicly that he would not be a running mate to anyone and has since declared his ambition to contest the 2023 presidential election. He also said that he was willing to serve a single four-year term if elected.

In a statement released by his spokesman, Ibrahim Umar of the Peter Obi Media Reach, Obi dismissed claims of a possible joint ticket with former Vice President Atiku.

No trouble in A’C – Lagos chieftain

Meanwhile, a top leader of the coalition in Lagos told BusinessDay that it was not true that there was trouble in the ADC because of Atiku’s presidential ambition, saying that the leaders had resolved to support anyone that emerges as a presidential candidate.

“It is figment of the imagination of those saying that. There is no trouble in the coalition or ADC, I know that everyone is free to aspire, even Peter Obi; why all these talks now.

“We have resolved that anyone that emerges as the presidential candidate would be supported. The APC is the one promoting these talks, trying to create confusion. Single candidates can’t defeat Tinubu; it is better they come together,” the source said.

Speaking to his supporters in Rivers State some days ago, Amaechi said that the coalition leaders would fully support the eventual ADC presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.

Amaechi further said that policies being implemented by President Bola Tinubu’s administration have failed to alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians.

The former governor explained that the opposition leaders are optimistic that the process leading to the emergence of the party’s flagbearer will be transparent, free and fair.

“The moment anybody emerges from the primary, all of us will support; that’s the agreement. We insist on a free and fair, transparent primary,” Amaechi said.

Inauguration of the coalition

The coalition was publicly inaugurated on July 2, after leaders had spent the last one year in consultation and planning.

Seen as perhaps, the most broad-based gathering of opposition figures in Nigerian politics since the return to democracy in 1999 when the military handed over power.

Other prominent politicians behind the coalition include former governors Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, Rotimi Amsechi of Rivers State, Gabriel Suswam of Benue, and Sule Lamido of Jigawa State.

The coalition appointed a former Senate President, David Mark, and a former governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, as its interim national chair and secretary, respectively. (BusinessDay, excluding headline)