Convener of the League of Northern Democrats Umar Ardo has declared that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar will emerge victorious in the presidential primary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) if he decides to contest.
Speaking on Friday during a programme, Focus Nigeria, aired on the African Independent Television (AIT), Ardo said he had analysed possible scenarios ahead of the party’s primary election.
While discussions around a consensus candidate may arise within the party, he noted that such an arrangement would require key contenders, including Peter Obi and Rotimi Amaechi, to step down, a situation he described as unlikely.
He explained, “Consensus will only be feasible if major aspirants willingly relinquish their ambitions in favour of a single candidate, this could prove difficult given the political realities and the strong support bases of those involved.”
He further explained that if there is to be a consensus, it would mean that the contenders would have to step down, adding that Atiku, Peter Obi, Amaechi, and others would have to step aside for another candidate.
Ardo believed that Obi’s loyal supporters, “the Obidient Movement”, would strongly resist any move for him to step down, asserting that Obi himself might be inclined to do so under certain circumstances.
He also expressed the view that although Atiku’s supporters might accept a consensus arrangement, the former Vice President himself is unlikely to withdraw from the race.
The northern political figure maintained that if all aspirants proceed to contest the primary election, Atiku stands a clear chance of clinching the party’s ticket, regardless of whether the process is conducted through direct primaries or by delegates.
He said, “If all of them go into the primaries, then Atiku will win, be it by delegates or direct primaries. Atiku will 100 percent win the primaries, even if they are conducted multiple times.”
His remarks came amid ongoing political realignments and speculation over potential alliances and candidacies ahead of future elections, with key political actors weighing their options within and across party lines.
The ADC has yet to officially outline its timetable for the primary election, as consultations among stakeholders continue.
