According to a report by The Nation, sources close to both Obi and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar claimed that the development did not come as a surprise because tensions had allegedly existed long before the reported exit.
The report noted that Obi and Atiku had previously worked together during the 2019 presidential election under the Peoples Democratic Party, where Obi served as Atiku’s running mate. At the time, Atiku reportedly selected Obi ahead of several other prominent figures who were considered for the vice-presidential slot.
Among those allegedly considered were former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, former Central Bank governor and current Anambra State governor Charles Soludo, former Minister of Agriculture Akinwumi Adesina, and former AMCON Managing Director Chike Obi.
Although the Atiku-Obi ticket lost the 2019 presidential election, party insiders reportedly claimed that disagreements during the campaign period contributed to tensions between both politicians beyond the electoral defeat itself.
According to the sources, Atiku was allegedly dissatisfied with Obi’s approach to campaign financing and believed he was reluctant to commit financial resources to the joint campaign. The insiders claimed this perception influenced Atiku’s later political dealings with Obi.
An ADC chieftain, who spoke anonymously, reportedly alleged that Atiku reacted with scepticism when Obi joined the ADC because of their previous political experience together. The source claimed Atiku doubted whether a long-term political partnership with Obi would be successful.
The official stated, “A lot of people know about Obi’s self-entitlement mentality, but they don’t know how serious it is. Do you know that Obi’s stingy nature was the sore point between him and Atiku in ADC? Atiku already knew him from their working relationship in 2019.
"So, the moment some people approached him with the proposal that he should step down for Obi in the contest for the party’s presidential ticket, the first thing he told them was to ask Obi to first of all put down money for the party’s nomination form."
The source further alleged that Obi’s reluctance to commit financial resources influenced Atiku’s position and claimed that Obi eventually left the party for the NDC before tensions could escalate further.
The report also suggested that questions surrounding campaign funding could become a major issue for the NDC if Obi eventually emerges as the party’s presidential candidate.
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