Jabir Ibrahim Yaro, the Abuja Coordinator of the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement, has revealed why former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, and ex-Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso left the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In an interview with Daily Post, Yaro said their departure was due to internal crises in the ADC, alleged external interference and strategic political calculations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Yaro said that opposition parties in Nigeria were facing serious challenges under the present administration.
“First of all, as you know, in Nigeria, opposition parties are actually in trouble or in danger because of the current administration, because there is no single opposition party, as it is now, that is clean and without any internal crisis,” he said.
He alleged that the ADC and other opposition parties were facing crises due to the machinations of powerful forces.
He said, “And we all know it is the people behind all the crises of the opposition parties, including the ADC.”
Yaro also attributed the recent Supreme Court ruling on the ADC leadership dispute to the reasons Obi and Kwankwaso left the party.
He said the decision to send the case back to the Federal High Court was a risky one.
“Secondly, you should know that the recent judgment of the Supreme Court is a trap,” he said. This is just my opinion. I’m not a barrister but it is a trap because the Supreme Court referred the case back to the Federal High Court.”
Yaro said he did not trust the lower court process and alleged interference in the judiciary.
“Actually, a minister is allegedly controlling the High Court,” he claimed.
He also alleged that the judges had received benefits from the authorities.
“They just built houses for them in the FCT, gave them land, you know, bought them cars and the rest.
“There is no way you should be expecting something positive to come out of the Federal High Court when people like them are in charge.
‘Promises of ADC Unfulfilled’
Yaro said internal problems within the ADC also led to the decision to leave.
“The coalition had promised transparent processes, including direct primaries or consensus in the first place,” he said.
“Then there are internal crises in the ADC, secondly,” he said. From day one of this coalition they made it very clear that everything would be transparent.
“They claimed there would be direct primaries, that there would be transparent primaries or consensus.
However, he alleged that the promises were not kept.
“But as we are going, we have learnt that there is a person who is trying to hijack the party and stop everybody from expressing their own interests,” he said.
But Yaro said Obi and his supporters were only interested in running for president and would not accept a vice-presidential position.
“We are not ready to settle for any vice-presidential position, he said. We are going to run for president.
When asked whether the position was selfish, he answered, “It is not selfish.”
He said Obi enjoyed strong grassroots support and had inspired many Nigerians to take part in politics.
“You know that in 2023 many people died because of Peter Obi. They died for his ambitions.
‘Many people are in politics because of him,’ he said.
‘South Must Complete Tenure’
Yaro also argued that power should be retained in the South in line with regional balance.
“It is the turn of Southern Nigeria,” he said. Let them finish their tenure.”
He accused a certain aspirant within the coalition of repeatedly insisting on the need to secure the presidential ticket.
“The same guy who is trying to get the ADC ticket is the one every election cycle who is saying that he must get that ticket.
“If that’s the case, he can’t win an election. Why does it have to be him all the time? “Why can’t he back these people?” he said.
The coordinator of the OK Movement also played down the position of the vice-president in Nigeria’s political system, describing it as largely ceremonial.
We all know that the VP is just a ceremonial post in this country,” he said.
“Look what is going on now. It’s only ceremonial.
“And up until now, since Tinubu became president, they have never handed over this country to the vice president.
