A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Babachir Lawal, has criticised former presidential candidate Peter Obi, accusing him of avoiding internal party contests.
Lawal made the remarks during an appearance on Arise TV in Abuja, where he questioned Obi’s approach to party primaries and consensus arrangements.
“A politician who fears elections has no business being one. He (Peter Obi) doesn’t want to participate in primaries; he prefers a consensus candidate, and that consensus must be him,” Lawal said.
The former Secretary to the Government of the Federation argued that internal party democracy requires aspirants to test their popularity through primaries rather than relying on consensus agreements.
His comments come amid ongoing political realignments and early positioning ahead of the 2027 general elections, where parties are beginning to outline strategies for candidate selection.
Obi, who was the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, has yet to publicly respond to Lawal’s remarks.
The development highlights growing debate within opposition circles over the mode of selecting candidates, particularly between advocates of direct primaries and those favouring consensus arrangements.
