…Alleges Grand Design To Pave The Way For Atiku
In a dramatic twist to the 2027 general elections, the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dumebi Kachikwu, has alleged that former President Goodluck Jonathan is being drafted into the 2027 presidential race as part of a North-led political conspiracy aimed at weakening southern political aspirations.
Kachikwu, who ran on the ADC platform in the 2023 elections, claimed in a broadcast aired on Roots Television and monitored by our reporter on Sunday that Jonathan is allegedly being positioned to run for president, with Labour Party’s Peter Obi being offered the role of Coordinating Minister of the Economy in exchange for his support.
According to Kachikwu, this is part of a broader strategy led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to manipulate regional and ethnic fault lines in a bid to return to power in 2027.
He said, “In order to weaken the South, they have now drafted in former President Jonathan into the race who is alleged to be offering Peter Obi the position of Coordinating Minister of the Economy for him to support his ambition,” Kachikwu stated.
He further accused Atiku of using old political actors and northern elites to orchestrate a quiet takeover of the ADC, a party he claimed is being stripped of its founding ideals to serve a singular northern ambition.
According to Kachikwu, what began as a coalition of various opposition voices has now morphed into a “one-man power grab.”
The former ADC presidential candidate accused Atiku’s camp of perpetrating what he described as a “monumental fraud” within the ADC party structure.
He displayed documents he claimed were forged, including signatures of ADC state chairmen, to secure court approval for a controversial settlement aimed at removing legal obstacles surrounding the party’s leadership crisis.
He alleged that the forged documents were presented to the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt, which subsequently entered judgment based on them under Appeal No: CA/PH/225/2023.
Kachikwu presented what he claimed were copies of forged signatures and international passports of the affected chairmen to support his claims.
“This is a fraud perpetrated in broad daylight. The signatories did not authorise the terms of settlement. This is criminal, and our lawyers have sent petitions to law enforcement,” he said.
Kachikwu also condemned the controversial emergence of former Senate President David Mark as the purported new chairman of the ADC.
He accused Chief Ralph Nwosu, the embattled former chairman of the party, of unilaterally appointing Mark in violation of the party’s constitution and without the backing of a valid national convention.
He said, “Sections of the media reported David Mark as chairman of the ADC even though it is constitutionally impossible. Just last week, a letter signed by Nwosu was still recognising himself as the party’s national chairman. What a joke.”
On the broader implications of these internal party crises, Kachikwu warned that the manipulation of ethnic and regional sentiments is endangering meritocracy and equitable representation in Nigerian politics.
He condemned what he termed a dangerous narrative being pushed in northern Nigeria that blames southerners, especially President Bola Tinubu, for the region’s poverty and underdevelopment.
He said, “Atiku and a few northern elites are again arming the weapons of region, religion, tongue, tribe and poverty to convince millions of poor northerners that a southern President Tinubu is the cause of their hardship.”
He claimed that Peter Obi has been explicitly told by these actors that he “will never get northern votes as an Igbo man,” and that his only path to power lies through subordination as a running mate.
Despite these challenges, Kachikwu reaffirmed his commitment to running for president in 2027 under the ADC, insisting he remains a legitimate member of the party and that no factional move or expulsion by Ralph Nwosu holds legal water.
“There is absolutely no power that will stop me from contesting in the ADC primaries next year. The attempts to hijack our party will only help make it more popular,” he said.
Responding to claims that the ADC no longer reflects the ideological principles under which he initially joined, Kachikwu admitted the party had lost its way but said he is determined to restore its original vision.
“When I joined the ADC, I was sold a lemon. But I worked hard to inject the values of meritocracy and ideas-based politics into it. That’s what I am fighting to protect,” he said.
As litigation over the party’s leadership drags on, currently adjourned until October, Kachikwu said the party is seeking a “doctrine of necessity” to resolve its leadership vacuum and urged INEC to step in to facilitate a national convention.
He concluded with a call for Nigerians to reject leaders who exploit the nation’s divisions for personal gain.
He said, “We must not burn down the house to kill rats. Let us clean the house so the rats leave on their own.”
