SPLIT BETWEEN ATIKU AND OBI: The Challenge of Opposition Unity Behind One Presidential Contender

Chief Akin Osuntokun, the former Director-General of the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council, has shared his insights on the challenges faced by the opposition in the 2023 polls, citing his experience as a former Political Adviser to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.

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Osuntokun revealed that some Labour Party leaders frustrated him and others who were brought in to help the 2023 presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, during his tenure as Campaign DG, which ultimately hindered the party's progress.

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In a recent interview, Osuntokun addressed the notion that the Labour Party is heading towards extinction due to internal saboteurs, stating that he did not defect to the ADC, and is not a member of any party.

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When asked about the third force, Osuntokun clarified that the presumption is that there are already two parties deemed to have sufficient gravitas, but he only knows of the APC, and is unsure which other party is being referred to.

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Peter Obi's rapid party-switching, from the Labour Party to the ADC, and now to the NDC, has raised concerns about eroding his brand as a principled alternative, but Osuntokun attributes Obi's departure from the ADC to the party's refusal to zone the presidential ticket to the South.

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Osuntokun also cited the uncertainty surrounding the ADC's future due to legal issues, and expressed hope that these issues will be resolved in favour of the party for the sake of the political party system's stability.

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Regarding the ADC coalition talks, Osuntokun denied knowledge of Atiku Abubakar's claim that the party was "formed in his house", stating that even if true, it does not grant Abubakar proprietary rights over the party's affairs.

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Osuntokun believes that the reason for Obi's departure from the ADC is the party's disposition towards adopting the principle of zoning the presidential ticket to Southern Nigeria.

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Some analysts warn that Obi, Kwankwaso, and Atiku running on separate platforms will hand an easy victory to the APC, but Osuntokun attributes the opposition's inability to unite behind a single candidate to conflicting visions of Nigeria's future.

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The fundamental reason behind Obi's decision to leave the ADC coalition is the issue of power rotation, with Osuntokun stating that if Obi had stayed, he would have had to accept the role of running mate to Abubakar.

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Osuntokun identified the biggest structural obstacle he faced while managing the Obi-Datti presidential campaign council as working with the Labour Party's existing structures, which prioritized personal financial gain over the party's interests.

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He recalled that the former party chairman, Julius Abure, and others lent themselves to internal subversion of Obi, and that they extorted money from the campaign team, with over 80 percent of polling agents submitted by Abure being "ghosts".

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The Labour Party spokesperson recently acknowledged that Osuntokun's departure left a massive void, but Osuntokun clarified that the Obidient movement is not synonymous with the Labour Party, and is exclusive to Obi.

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Osuntokun doubts that any part of Nigeria's dysfunctional structure, including the ADC, can be successfully isolated for durable redress, and believes that the country's problems are systemic.

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He also expressed concerns about the electoral infrastructure, stating that the courts have become an accessory to the destabilisation of the political system, with judgements being delivered and then violated, and that this is a symptom of the power politics unleashed by the present hyper-centralisation of power at the centre.