The crisis threatening to tear apart the African Democratic Congress (ADC) may get worse as the party’s presidential ticket is tearing supporters of major aspirants apart ahead of the primary.

It would be recalled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has refused to recognise any of the three camps laying claim to the party’s leadership.

This followed a Court of Appeal order in a suit challenging the recognition of David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola and others as officials of the National Working Committee (NWC).

Many state chapters remain polarised and unable to hold congresses. Yet, the party on Tuesday held its convention in Abuja without INEC monitoring, a move widely considered risky.

Ahead of the primary to pick the ticket for the presidential candidate, there is a widening gulf among the camps of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and Kwankwasiyya Movement leader, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, all believed to be eyeing the ticket.

The trio are defectors from other parties who have converged on the ADC amid ongoing political realignments ahead of the 2027 general election.

While Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) last year to become the ADC arrowhead, Obi also quit the Labour Party (LP), on whose platform he contested the 2023 presidential election.

Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano State and ex-Defence Minister, left the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) for the ADC last month.

Despite their stated commitment to building a formidable opposition platform to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the cracks became evident shortly after the convention.

Atiku’s ally, Dele Momodu, said the former vice president’s camp favours an Atiku/Obi ticket.

However, Obi’s camp rejected the proposal, insisting that the ticket should be zoned to the South.

Momodu argued that pairing Obi with Atiku would give the ADC a significant electoral advantage, citing their previous collaboration in 2019.

The duo, however, lost the election to the late President Muhammadu Buhari.

Speaking on television on Tuesday night, Momodu said: “I’d pair him (Atiku) with Peter Obi because they worked together in 2019. So, they already share a similar temperament.

“Peter Obi came third in the last election. You don’t have to work too hard to maintain and attract the same group of people who love him.”

He maintained that the proposed Atiku/Obi alliance, if consummated, would strengthen the opposition’s chances of capturing federal power, especially amid ongoing political realignments.

But the Coordinator of the Obedient Movement – Obi’s caucus within the ADC – Tanko Yunusa, insisted that zoning the ticket to the South remains the only acceptable option.

He added that once zoned to the South, Obi should emerge as the sole beneficiary and be paired with Kwankwaso.

Yunusa, who also spoke on television, said Obi enjoys broad acceptability within the ADC.

According to him, the reception accorded Obi and Kwankwaso by delegates at Tuesday’s national convention reflected the preference of party members.

He warned that the ADC risks losing the election if its candidate does not emerge from the South.

Yunusa described the former Anambra State governor as the best choice for the ticket, citing what he called his integrity and lack of political baggage.

He said: “You’ve never seen him (Obi) owning a debt. Neither have you seen him segregating. In all of that, he still mingles with his colleagues to fight for the soul of the country.”

He added that Obi has recognised the need to build alliances with the North, noting his increasing engagement with northern leaders across religious lines.

Yunusa said: “When he came to my state in Kano, you could see the synergy between him and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. The reception was overwhelming; we barely managed the mammoth crowd.

“It was shouts of Obi/Kwankwaso! Obi/Kwankwaso! The signage and the chorus showed a major shift from what it was in 2023 and 2026 towards 2027. I was elated.”

He dismissed the suggestion of an Atiku/Obi ticket as unworkable.

Yunusa said: “It’s a Southern presidency. To make it easier for the party to win, zone it to the South and give the candidacy to the region, and you are assured of victory.

“Anything short of that will only lead to defeat. Nigerians should conduct independent assessments.

“The level of enthusiasm and support shown for Peter Obi and Kwankwaso indicates that the people have spoken.

“If those two are paired – Peter Obi as presidential candidate and Kwankwaso as running mate – the election would effectively be decided early.

“The momentum has grown, especially among young Nigerians seeking credible leadership and good governance.”

There is also a widespread belief that Atiku, 79, may have an edge over Obi in a competitive primary, given his long-standing experience in party contests dating back to 1991/1992.

This perception has fuelled calls by Obi’s supporters for the ticket to be zoned to the South, effectively limiting Atiku’s chances of contesting.

However, the ADC spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, has repeatedly assured that the party will provide a level playing field for all aspirants.

Last week, Obi reiterated that the process for selecting the party’s candidate must not be “transactional.”

He said in an interview: “In the PDP, I left for the LP because people were not playing by the rules.

“The presidential primary was transactional. I cannot be part of transactional primaries. I cannot pay people to serve them.

“I may not have spent a long time in politics, but even if I had to repeat the process 20 times, I would take the same decision – to leave. I cannot advocate change while participating in a flawed process.

“I am now in the ADC with some of the same people I left in the PDP and other parties.

“But if the same process is compromised again, I will speak out.

“I have never been involved in any form of election rigging – at the primary level, during the election, or afterwards.”