Rotimi Amaechi once threatened to walk out of the opposition coalition after feeling the party leadership was favouring Peter Obi, ADC spokesman Bolaji Abdullahi has claimed.
Speaking on Symfoni TV Thursday, Abdullahi said Amaechi went to the ADC national chairman complaining that Obi was getting preferential treatment.
“There was a time that His Excellency Rotimi Amaechi went to the national chairman and was threatening to leave the coalition,” Abdullahi said. “He felt that the chairman was pandering to Peter Obi, that he was conceding everything to Peter Obi.”
Abdullahi dismissed claims that Obi has been marginalized, saying the former Anambra governor was given real influence in the party structure. One deputy position went to Obi’s nominee, and the National Organising Secretary role was ceded to his camp.
That concession cost Osita Chidoka, who had been working on coalition building and expected the organizing secretary slot before Obi joined, Abdullahi said.
“Before Peter Obi joined the coalition, you had people like Osita Chidoka working very hard for coalition building. He was hoping to be the National Organising Secretary,” he said. “But when Peter Obi came, in order to bring him in and give him a sense of belonging, that’s how we lost Osita Chidoka.”
Obi was also allowed to nominate other individuals into party structures, Abdullahi added, defending the moves as necessary concessions.
“Politics is a game of addition,” he said. “The more people we are able to lock in, and if we have to make some concessions that are not going to kill anybody, then we have to make those concessions.”
He insisted Obi had no basis to claim marginalization within the coalition.
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