No single individual would have the capacity to run roughshod over the African Democratic Party (ADC), or impose his or her will on the party, but every member would be given opportunity to express their democratic rights including pursuing legitimate ambitions, withing its fold.
These were the words of Bolaji Abdullahi, the spokesman of the coalition-backed party on Wednesday, on a day he also dismissed widespread insinuations that the platform was already being torn apart by the ambitions of the influential individuals seeking to hijack it for their presidential ambitions.
Though Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President, seen mainly as the arrowhead of the ADC arrangement formally launched on July 2, has not indicated whether he would be throwing his hat in the ring to contest the ticket, Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 edition as well as Rotimi Amaechi, former Minister of Transportation, had given the signal that they would want to contest the presidency in 2027.
Against the backdrop of the contention in many quarters that a power struggle could ensue among the party leaders that could distabilise its unity, Abdullahi, a former Minister, explained that the party had the machinery to contain the situation and preserve the party.
His words: “It’s just politicians doing what politicians will do. Every politician has an ambition in one way or the other, but what is important is for the party to be able to impose its authority, to regulate or motivate the ambitions of individual members.
“I mean, even in conceptual terms, that’s what political parties are meant to do, to aggregate interest, to the ambitions. So we don’t have any problems with anybody coming to say I want to be president. I want to be this or that. That’s not the problem.
“The important thing is that we are able to build a party that is strong, that is strong enough, and able to impose his authority on individual members that is one two build a party that is transparently just and gives opportunity to everyone. So, once you are able to give opportunity to everyone, then you also increase your own authorisation level and be able to discipline your membership.”
