2027: ‘Peter Obi made wrong move, should’ve stayed in ADC to learn’ – David Mark’s aide, Igbawua

Former governorship aspirant Hon. Chille Igbawua said that the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate made a mistake by leaving the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Igbawua, a member of the ADC Electoral Panel and adviser to ADC National Chairman David Mark, told Channels Television on Tuesday evening that the former Anambra State governor should have stayed in the ADC and learned lessons even if he lost the primary to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

He added that the APC primary had a level playing field for all contestants. “In Benue, for instance, Atiku got 55,000 votes, Amaechi scored 30,000, and Hayatu‑deen polled 22,000,” he said, illustrating the balance of the contest.

“We started this process of the coalition, and I was there at the beginning, from where we adopted ADC as the political platform,” Igbawua explained. “Hayatu‑deen was part of it from the beginning, but abandoned it later, and then came back later. Some of the issues we’re hearing is that most people didn’t even know he came back and was in the contest.”

He continued, “This shows that it was a level playing field for all. By the time all the results are out, we will be able to analyze it further.” He noted that each candidate’s victories in different areas demonstrate their reach and that Atiku Abubakar has built a massive political machinery over the years.

When asked whether Peter Obi is thanking his heavens for not staying back to contest against Atiku in the ADC primary, Igbawua replied, “I don’t think he can thank his heavens.” He added, “Where he has gone all the best to him. But I don’t think that he, to me, he has his opinion. I don’t think he made the right choice, as far as I’m concerned.”

He said the original goal of the process was to save Nigeria, not personal ambition. “Some of us have also sacrificed at our level. I have been involved in the National Assembly, I have been Chief Executive of the Public Complaints Commission of Nigeria, I have contested governorship. This time I said let me allow the field for others behind me to also try,” he said. “So we are making sacrifices, and we thought honestly that if what we’re saying in the beginning that we are out for the interest of Nigerians and not our personal interest, I expected that we should, each of us, be able to make sacrifices at our various levels.” He concluded, “So when somebody, because of losing out a personal ambition, begins to abandon ship, that’s why I say I don’t think it’s the right decision.”