2027: Peter Obi Dumps Labour Party for ADC, Calls for ‘Broad Coalition’ to Rescue Nigeria
Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has officially announced his defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The former Anambra State Governor made the declaration on Wednesday during a New Year address at the Nike Lake Resort in Enugu. Obi described the move as a strategic step driven by “patriotism and national interest” to rescue Nigeria from what he termed “poverty, disunity, and democratic decline.”
In his address, Obi urged his supporters, famously known as the “Obidient Movement,” his political associates, and other opposition leaders to join him in the ADC to form a formidable national coalition capable of wrestling power from the ruling party in the 2027 general elections.
“This decision is guided solely by patriotism and national interest. 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,” Obi stated.
Painting a grim picture of the nation’s current state, Obi argued that the country is at a critical threshold as it exits 2025.
He lamented the high rate of unemployment and multidimensional poverty affecting millions of citizens, attributing these challenges to leadership failure rather than a lack of resources.
“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,” he asserted.
Obi further accused the political elite of exploiting ethnic and religious fault lines to maintain their hold on power, showing little regard for inclusive development.
He cited the economic success of Indonesia as a counter-example of what focused leadership can achieve, contrasting it with Nigeria’s struggle with de-industrialization and corruption.
The new ADC stalwart also sounded a note of caution regarding the integrity of the upcoming 2027 polls. He insisted that electoral reforms are non-negotiable and warned against any attempts to manipulate the process.
Obi criticized recent tax reforms by the Federal Government as “anti-people” and economically counterproductive, positioning his new platform as the vehicle to reverse these trends.
He emphasized that unity among opposition forces is the only viable path to defeating a government he claimed thrives on “division and propaganda.”
This move effectively ends months of speculation about Obi’s political future following the protracted leadership crisis that has rocked the Labour Party.
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