By EMMANUEL OLONIRUHA

African Democratic Congress (ADC) has condemned the restriction order issued on the 2023 Presidential Candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi in Edo, describing it as unacceptable.

ADC’s National Spokesperson, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, stated during a news conference in Abuja on Sunday.

Abdullahi said that the pronouncements credited to Gov. Monday Okpebholo that Obi or opposition leaders were not welcome in their state was undemocratic.

“This is not democratic and it’s a very dangerous pattern. Nigeria is a free country, and every citizen of Nigeria has the right to go anywhere in this country.

“We don’t need a visa in our country. We don’t need anybody’s permission to go to any part of our country,” he said.

Abdullahi stated that ADC believed that it could only get worse, if it’s not nipped in the board.

“We in ADC are alarmed; we are worried that we have not even started big political activities.

“We have not started campaigns and already our governors are saying that some leaders of our party are not welcome in their respective states,” he said.

According to him, no state belongs to any governor but the people, noting: “We will go anywhere we want in Nigeria. Nigeria is a free country.

Meanwhile, Abdullahi has said that he has not heard any of the coalition leaders insisting he must emerge as ADC presidential candidates in 2027.

“Whether it’s Obi or Abubakar or any other aspirant on the platform of ADC, understand that this is democracy, and we are not going to anoint any aspirant or candidate.

“Like our chairman has emphasised, we don’t have a pre-determined agenda. We don’t have any favourite candidate.

“We are going to provide a level-playing ground and a transparent process for the emergence of our presidential candidate,” he said.

Abdullahi said while the supporters could say whatever they wanted, it didn’t necessarily represent the sentiments of the people that they claimed to support.

He advised anybody with a preferred aspirant to get ADC membership card to enable him vote for such an aspirant when the time comes.

On whether any individual had taken the new ADC leadership to court, Abdullahi said he was not aware of any of such.

He insisted that the new leadership of the party followed due process in taking over the party, saying it did not just happen overnight.

“It’s possible that such people threatening to go to the court may not have the correct information. We are confident that we are on solid legal grounds in everything that we have done,” he said.

Asked while some of the coalition leaders have yet to join ADC, Abdullahi said that he could only speak in respect of Obi and Mallam Nasir El-Rufai in that regard.

“They were granted leave to complete the process of elections, the by-election and the election of their governorship candidates, like the case of Mr. Obi in their legacy parties.

“They have people who have obtained nomination forms to contest election on the platform of those parties.

“So it’s only logical and fair that they are allowed to complete that process. But they are solidly in the coalition.

“As soon as that process is completed, they will move in fully,” the ADC spokesperson said. (NAN)