Peter Obi Defects to ADC, Calls for National Opposition Coalition Ahead of 2027
Former Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has officially defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), calling for a united national opposition to “rescue Nigeria from poverty, disunity and democratic decline.”
Obi, a former Governor of Anambra State, confirmed his decision on Wednesday at the Nike Lake Resort in Enugu, where he delivered a New Year’s address to supporters and party officials. He accused the current political leadership of presiding over economic hardship, institutional decay, and a gradual erosion of democratic values.
“This decision is guided solely by patriotism and national interest,” Obi declared. “I now respectfully call on my political associates, the Obidient Movement, and opposition leaders across the country to join this broad national coalition under the African Democratic Congress. History will not forgive silence in moments of national peril.”
Positioning his move as part of a wider rescue mission, Obi said Nigeria had reached a critical turning point and required urgent, focused leadership.
“As the year 2025 ends today, we stand on the threshold of a new beginning. Moments of profound national challenge demand clarity of purpose and decisive action. That moment is now,” he said.
The former Labour Party standard-bearer described the country as being in grave distress, citing rising poverty, unemployment, and insecurity. According to him, over 130 million Nigerians now live in multidimensional poverty while more than 80 million young people remain unemployed.
“With over 130 million Nigerians living in multidimensional poverty and more than 80 million youths unemployed, our people are in persistent agony. This is not the destiny God bequeathed to over 220 million Nigerians,” he said.
“As a nation, we are not poor; we are looted into poverty. Nigeria is not broken; Nigeria is severely betrayed. The average Nigerian is not lazy or incompetent, but the system is rigged to reward mediocrity and recycle failure.”
Obi accused the political elite of weaponising ethnicity and religion to maintain control, warning that the country risked deeper instability if urgent reforms were not implemented.
“Their expertise lies in creating more divisions to sustain themselves in office, with little or no interest in unity or inclusive development,” he said.
The ADC chieftain also warned over the integrity of future elections, insisting that reforms of the electoral system were non-negotiable as the 2027 general elections approach. He cautioned that any attempt to subvert the will of the people through rigging would plunge the nation further into crisis.
Drawing comparisons from his global engagements, Obi referenced Indonesia as a model of what strategic leadership can achieve. He noted that while Nigeria and Indonesia once shared similar economic characteristics, Indonesia has now grown into a trillion-dollar economy, while Nigeria continues to contend with corruption and de-industrialisation.
He further criticised Federal Government tax policies, describing them as punitive and counterproductive. He said reports of a forged tax law undermined national trust, insisting that “a tax regime founded on forgery cannot build trust, unity or prosperity.”
Obi stressed that his defection to the ADC marked the beginning of a broader movement to challenge what he described as “a government that thrives on division and propaganda,” adding that only a united opposition could secure victory in 2027.
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