Dumebi Kachikwu Atiku coalition criticism: ADC candidate says Atiku’s coalition is a selfish gang-up, not a rescue plan, and insists power must shift south
The 2023 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Dumebi Kachikwu, has slammed the newly formed coalition led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, describing it as a selfish political alliance.
Also read: ADC Leadership Reassures Stakeholders over Opposition Coalition 2027 Election
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, Kachikwu accused Atiku and his allies of seeking political office purely for personal economic gain rather than for national interest.
“What we have here today is a gang unable to survive outside political office, seeking to hijack the ADC as a means to revive their personal economies,” Kachikwu said.
“They are truly on a rescue mission, but it is a mission to rescue themselves from the harsh economic realities, which they themselves created for our nation.”
He claimed that Atiku’s belief in northern dominance of the presidency was at the heart of the crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party.
“Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, a man whose antecedents clearly shows he doesn’t believe anyone from the southern part of Nigeria is deserving of being president… orchestrated this charade for his personal benefit,” Kachikwu stated.
He cited past instances where Atiku opposed President Olusegun Obasanjo’s re-election and undermined former President Goodluck Jonathan.
According to him, Atiku’s insistence on contesting again after President Buhari’s eight-year rule was unjust and contributed to the disintegration of the PDP.
Kachikwu also criticised attempts to lure former Governor Peter Obi into the alliance, describing the move as deceitful.
“He is now using some charlatans to deceive former Governor Peter Obi that only he Atiku has what it takes to win an election because he can get the majority of the North to vote for him,” he added.
Also read: ADC Coalition Ticket Row Will Be Decided by Delegates, Says Atiku’s Spokesman
Kachikwu stressed that the presidency must remain in southern Nigeria for another eight years, asserting that any credible challenger to President Bola Tinubu in 2027 must come from the south.
