Dare Babalola
Bashir Ahmad on Saturday reacted to reports suggesting that former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and some of his supporters may be considering another political realignment away from the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In a statement, Ahmad said the development had raised questions over whether Obi was seeking to avoid competing against other aspirants within the party ahead of future elections.
According to him, such a move would mirror Obi’s political decisions ahead of the 2023 presidential election, when he left his former platform to contest elsewhere.
“The question here is whether Peter is leaving to escape standing against other aspirants within his party. It is the same path he once embraced in 2022 leading to the 2023 presidential election,” Ahmad said.
He argued that political leaders seeking national office must first demonstrate their popularity and ability to compete within their own party structures through transparent primary elections.
“If a political figure appears so afraid to test their popularity within their own party structure, it naturally leads to questions about how they intend to build the broad national consensus required to lead a country as diverse and complex as Nigeria,” he added.
Ahmad further described party primaries as a key component of democratic practice, stressing that success in internal contests often reflects a candidate’s capacity to manage broader political interests.
“Party primaries are a fundamental pillar of democracy. If Peter struggles to compete fairly among fellow aspirants within his party, it becomes difficult to convincingly argue that he can unify and lead an entire nation with diverse interests and strong political contenders,” he stated.
