David Mark’s Aide Says Peter Obi Should Have Stayed in ADC
Media aide to former Senate President David Mark, Chille Igbawua, stated that Peter Obi erred by leaving the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
He argued that Obi ought to have remained in the ADC and taken lessons from the experience, even if he had lost the primary election to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Igbawua pointed to the Benue State results as evidence of a level playing field: Atiku garnered 55,000 votes, Amaechi received 30,000, and Hayatu-deen polled 22,000.
When questioned whether Obi might be relieved for not having to face Atiku in the ADC primary, Igbawua replied that he does not think Obi can thank his luck for the outcome.
While he wishes Obi all the best, Igbawua maintains that the decision to quit the ADC was misguided.
He stressed that the coalition’s original aim was to rescue Nigeria, not to pursue personal ambition, noting his own sacrifices in the National Assembly, as head of the Public Complaints Commission, and in gubernatorial contests.
Igbawua added that abandoning the effort after a personal setback runs contrary to the spirit of sacrifice expected from all participants.
He recalled being part of the coalition from its inception, when ADC was selected as the political platform, and noted that Hayatu-deen was involved from the start, later left, and then returned— a fact many were unaware of.
Reiterating the Benue example, Igbawua said the vote distribution demonstrates that the contest was fair and that each candidate showed strength in certain areas.
He dismissed the notion that Atiku is unbeatable, pointing out that Atiku has lost primaries before, so it is inaccurate to claim he always wins.
Igbawua concluded that staying in the race, even without victory, would have provided Obi with valuable lessons for future political endeavors.
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