A Chairmanship aspirant for the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Hon. Michael Odoh, has accused Mr. Peter Obi, former Labour Party presidential candidate, and Senator Ireti Kingibe, representing the FCT, of undermining internal democracy within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) during the party’s recent primary election in Abuja.
Odoh, who is contesting for the chairmanship ticket, alleged that both leaders played central roles in a plot to impose their preferred candidate on the party, sidelining aspirants who had faithfully gone through the due process.
According to him, while he duly fulfilled all legal and party requirements, the ADC leadership in the FCT succumbed to undue external influence at the expense of fairness and transparency.
Odoh said, “I went through all the processes in this party faithfully. I prepared myself for the primaries, ready to face my fellow aspirants in a fair contest. But to my greatest shock, I was denied that opportunity.
“The reason I was given was that the aspirant being imposed on us was sent by Mr. Peter Obi and Senator Ireti Kingibe, and that the party leadership did not want to displease them. Imagine that! Instead of a fair contest, we were told to step aside for ‘the chosen one’,” Odoh said.
He revealed that his doubts were erased on 22nd August at Chelsea Hotel, Abuja, where both Obi and Kingibe were physically present as candidates, including those who had already won their primaries, were allegedly compelled to step down.
“What happened in that hotel was nothing short of a scandal. Candidates who had legitimately won were told they lacked ‘loyalty’ or ‘capacity.’ Just as they imposed a chairmanship candidate on AMAC, councillorship candidates were also handpicked. The question is: who decides — the people, or a few individuals in a hotel room?” he queried.
Odoh further stressed that the actions of the party leaders were not only undemocratic but also illegal.
“The ADC deposited its guidelines with INEC, which clearly stated that all candidates must emerge through primaries. But those guidelines were discarded. The Electoral Act 2022 (Section 84) is also very clear — every political party must hold primaries monitored by INEC. Where a party fails to do so, such candidates should not appear on the ballot. What happened in AMAC is not only illegitimate; it is unlawful,” he insisted.
He confirmed that his legal team has formally written to the party without any response and announced that he would be seeking judicial redress.
“We will go to court armed with the party’s own guidelines and the Electoral Act itself. On this matter, both truth and law are on our side,” Odoh said.
Calling on his supporters to remain calm, Odoh emphasized that his struggle was not about personal interest but about defending democracy within the party.
“I know my supporters are angry and disappointed. But this struggle is not about violence — it is about justice. We are not fighting individuals; we are fighting impunity. In the end, democracy will win.”