Dr. Ladan Salihu, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has urged political economist Professor Pat Utomi and supporters of former Anambra State governor Peter Obi to keep calm despite escalating controversy over the party’s 2027 presidential ticket.
Salihu made the request in response to recent comments by Utomi, who stated that he would withdraw his support for Obi if the former governor accepted a vice-presidential position in the forming opposition alliance following his defection to the ADC.
The ADC chairman recommended prudence and a focus on party building rather than early contests for the party’s presidential nomination.
“Pat Utomi has rushed with his comment. I believe he should calm down and sober up,” Salihu said.
He stated that the priority of the party at the moment was to strengthen its structure and position itself as a viable opposition platform.
“We are trying to recruit members; we are trying to put the party together to begin to articulate how we will perform our role as a mega opposition party,” he said.
“That should be the issue on the table. We should not so much be looking at the issues of the presidential election at this stage.”
According to Salihu, the focus should be on increasing the party’s reach and disseminating its message to Nigerians across the country.
“We should be looking at how we grow the party, how to market the party, how we sell the party to Nigerians, and how we take the message to the nooks and crannies of this country,” he went on.
Responding to Obi supporters, sometimes known as Obidients, who demanded that the former Anambra governor be selected as the ADC’s presidential candidate, Salihu warned against what he termed as preconditions for party involvement.
“They should calm down,” he said. “In politics, you don’t join a political party with conditionalities and preconditions.”
He stated that party members were expected to compete via recognized democratic mechanisms rather than ultimatums.
“You join as a member, you harvest your votes, you put your credibility, and you sell yourself to the voters, to the delegates. Eventually, the delegates will decide,” the ADC chieftain said.
He also warned that insisting on a “win-or-nothing” approach was undemocratic and could undermine the opposition’s broader objective.
“The idea of somebody coming up to tell Nigerians—not only in ADC, but in any political party—that if my presidential candidate should win, or nothing, is anti-democratic,” he said.
