‘Mr Barefaced Hypocrite’ – Presidency Calls Out Obi Over Past Comments on ADC Crisis

The Presidency has criticised former Anambra State Governor and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over his previous comments on the leadership crisis and unresolved litigations in the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Dada Olusegun, Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Social Media, accused Obi of hypocrisy after sharing a video in which the former Labour Party presidential candidate reportedly explained why some political figures decided to leave the ADC for the NDC.

In the video, Obi was heard attributing their decision to persistent leadership disputes and unresolved court cases within the ADC, adding that they moved to the NDC after receiving assurances that the party had no pending litigation.

“There have been crisis upon crisis, litigation in our party (ADC), which made us to leave that party to another because of several unresolved litigations,” Obi said.

He added, “And we have left that place to NDC, where the leader already told us no litigations, and we are pleading with them (ADC) not to come here.”

Reacting to the video, Olusegun suggested that Obi had contradicted himself, considering his recent reaction to the Federal High Court judgment that nullified the leadership of the ADC led by former Senate President David Mark.

Sharing the video, the presidential aide wrote, “Mr Peter Obi must have forgotten all what he said in this video. Mr barefaced hypocrite, this you?”

Olusegun’s criticism followed Obi’s condemnation of the judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which invalidated the emergence of the Mark-led ADC leadership and decisions taken by the party’s caretaker committee.

Obi had described the ruling as shocking and unsettling, arguing that the uncertainty surrounding opposition parties and their candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections could undermine Nigeria’s democracy.

In a statement shared on his X account on Thursday, the former Anambra governor said he was not questioning the authority of the court to determine disputes but expressed concern about the timing of the judgment.

“I have received with shock the news of an order by the Federal High Court in Abuja nullifying the emergence of the Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and all the actions he has taken. This is unsettling and surprising,” he said.

“I do not challenge the ruling of the court. The court of law is constituted to determine disputes according to the law. My concern is that three months before a general election, it is in the public interest to have certainty.”

Obi, however, alleged that the judgment was part of a broader strategy by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to destabilise opposition parties and restrict political competition ahead of the elections.

He also linked the development to the leadership crisis he experienced in the Labour Party, alleging that similar tactics were being deployed to frustrate opposition activities.

“This instability is obviously engineered by the ruling party, just as they have done against me in the Labour Party and continue to do so to close down civic space for a robust campaign,” Obi stated.

The NDC presidential candidate maintained that voters, rather than the courts, should ultimately determine who leads the country, while calling on the judiciary to protect the integrity of the electoral process.

“One mark of democracy is that at all times, it is voters and not courts that choose leaders. I trust in the judiciary. As a public officer, I have shown deep respect for the judiciary,” he added.

The controversy comes amid renewed uncertainty within the ADC following the judgment delivered by Justice Lifu on Thursday.

The court ruled in favour of Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former National Deputy Chairman (North-East) of the ADC, who challenged the process through which the Mark-led leadership assumed control of the party.

Gombe had argued that following the resignation of the party’s former National Chairman, Chief Ralph Nwosu, he was entitled to assume leadership in accordance with the ADC constitution.

He asked the court to nullify decisions taken by the Mark-led leadership and restrain Mark and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola from presenting themselves as the party’s National Chairman and National Secretary, respectively.

The plaintiff maintained that their emergence violated the party’s constitution and relevant provisions of the Electoral Act.

In its ruling, the court upheld Gombe’s claims and granted the reliefs he sought, effectively invalidating the actions of the Mark-led caretaker committee.

The judgment also affected the process that produced former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the ADC’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections. Atiku had earlier been listed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the party’s presidential candidate and selected former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi as his running mate.

The ADC has, however, vowed to challenge the judgment at the appellate court. The party’s National Welfare Secretary, Nkemakolam Ukandu, who was joined as an interested party in the case, confirmed that the leadership would appeal the decision.