Speaking on Arise News Prime Time with Charles Aniagolu on Monday night, Abdullahi said the ADC remains an ideology-driven party with a structured platform capable of offering Nigerians credible alternatives. However, he alleged that some political actors only viewed the party as a “special purpose vehicle” for personal ambitions.

He said, “Everything that the government has thrown at the ADC, we have resisted. We have fought back and remained committed to our goal of rescuing Nigerians from the failure of this government.”

Abdullahi also questioned the rationale behind the defections, noting that Peter Obi had previously expressed concerns that splitting opposition candidates would hand victory to President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

“So what has changed?” he asked.

Dismissing suggestions that internal legal disputes influenced the decision, Abdullahi said the ADC is currently facing only three minor court cases, which he described as insignificant and insufficient to justify any departure.

He further revealed that Obi was given significant influence within the party, including the nomination of the National Organising Secretary, a key position responsible for overseeing party structures and electoral processes.

“None of the aspirants or leaders was given as much consideration as Peter Obi. The office of the National Organising Secretary is the engine room of the party, and it is occupied by his nominee,” he said.

Responding to claims that the party was biased in favour of certain aspirants, Abdullahi insisted such allegations were false, adding that Obi had been consistently engaged in coalition discussions and had no prior complaints about internal fairness.

He said Obi had made it clear he would only join if the presidential ticket was zoned, noting that it took him nearly a year before formally aligning with the ADC.

Abdullahi also used a metaphor to describe the situation, saying: “When a woman wants to leave a marriage, she gives all kinds of reasons, including being suffocated by too much love. That is what we are seeing now.”

He stressed that while political actors are free to move between parties, they should avoid what he called unfounded justifications for their decisions.

The ADC spokesman further alleged that Obi’s exit may have been planned earlier, pointing to a meeting held two months ago in Kano involving Obi, Kwankwaso, and former Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson.

He said he later contacted Dickson after the meeting to understand the developments, adding that Kwankwaso had also shown interest in joining the ADC before the situation changed unexpectedly.

According to Abdullahi, Dickson indicated that the NDC remained open to political actors seeking alternatives.

He concluded that the sequence of events suggested a coordinated plan behind the defections, even raising questions about whether Kwankwaso’s involvement in the ADC was strategic from the outset.