A prominent figure within Nigeria’s political landscape has issued a stark warning to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), advising them to learn from the recent political turmoil engulfing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Osita Okechukwu, a founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), characterized the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) rejection of the Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee of the PDP as a clear manifestation of “karma.”
Addressing journalists in Abuja, Okechukwu, who previously served as the Director General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), suggested that the ADC’s leadership was instrumental in exacerbating the PDP’s internal divisions.
He cautioned the ADC against repeating similar political missteps, particularly concerning the violation of the established rotation convention for political power. Okechukwu believes the ADC is on a path that could lead to their own “rendezvous with karma” in the upcoming 2027 general elections.
“I hope that when ADC in 2027 plunge into the power gluttony temptation of breaching the rotation convention of not allowing the South to complete the traditional eight years in Aso Villa, they will neither blame President Tinubu nor APC for imposing One Party System in Nigeria,” Okechukwu stated.
Okechukwu recalled his consistent counsel to the Igbo people against concentrating all their political aspirations within a single party, citing historical instances where the PDP has not supported their presidential ambitions. He pointed to the denial of the presidential ticket to Dr. Alex Ekwueme in 1999 and subsequent elections where Igbo candidates were fielded but did not secure victory.
He expressed his conviction that the ADC faces a similar fate to the PDP, particularly if they persist in undermining the rotation convention. This approach, he argued, is based on a flawed premise that the northern electorate can be predictably mobilized to vote for a specific candidate.
Okechukwu questioned the ADC leadership’s expectation of securing substantial votes from the northern electorate, especially when their platform contradicts the consensus that the rotation convention ensures inclusivity and a sense of belonging.
The former VON DG emphasized that the PDP’s internal implosion should not be attributed to President Bola Tinubu or the G-5 governors. Instead, he urged them to accept the consequences of their actions, a path he believes the ADC is also treading.
Nigeria’s Fourth Republic, Okechukwu asserted, is fundamentally built upon the zoning and rotation convention as a cornerstone of national unity in a diverse and often polarized nation.
He warned that a forceful disregard for this convention would inevitably lead to the implosion of the ADC, mirroring the current crisis within the PDP and highlighting its critical importance for political stability.
Okechukwu reiterated his warning, stating that any party that attempts to circumvent the established power-sharing arrangement risks a similar political downfall, underscoring the deeply ingrained nature of this convention in Nigerian politics.
