The political storm within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) intensified on Friday as the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other political heavyweights of trying to hijack the party for personal gain.

Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Kachikwu claimed there is a calculated plan to undermine the possibility of a Southern presidency in 2027. According to him, the alleged plot involves convincing Goodluck Jonathan and Peter Obi to run alongside President Bola Tinubu, splitting Southern votes, while the North rallies behind a single candidate, Atiku.

Earlier, at a press conference in Abuja, Kachikwu dismissed Atiku, Obi, former Senate President David Mark, and others as “impostors” with no rightful claim to ADC’s leadership. He alleged that they were working with the party’s deposed chairman, Ralph Nwosu, to seize control illegally.

Kachikwu accused the group of forging the signatures of state chairmen to secure a controversial Court of Appeal judgment that recognized Nwosu as chairman. Presenting state chairmen from Nasarawa, Borno, Akwa Ibom, and Benue, all armed with passports to prove their real signatures, he called the alleged forgery “fraudulent” and “provocative.”

“They should come to equity with clean hands,” Kachikwu warned. “Nigerians must resist Atiku and his allies who don’t believe in an equitable Nigeria.”

The ADC chieftain said petitions have been submitted to law enforcement and vowed to continue his legal and public fight to reclaim the party. He also made it clear that he intends to contest the 2027 presidential election on the ADC platform.

Despite admitting that he had once opposed the idea of a “Southern presidency,” Kachikwu said the unfolding events had changed his stance:

“Nigeria has happened to me. I am now championing the cause of the South because what is being planned is an injustice.”

Kachikwu accused the group of using political offers, such as promising Obi a ministerial role under Jonathan, to manipulate the South into a divided race, thereby clearing the path for a Northern victory.

The battle for control of the ADC now looks set to play a key role in the political calculations ahead of 2027, as Kachikwu digs in to protect what he calls “the true leadership and future” of the party.