The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has given reasons why he still works with individuals in his new party, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), despite corruption allegations against them.
Mr Obi, a 2027 presidential aspirant under the ADC platform, spoke on Saturday when he appeared as a guest on Magic FM Aba in Abia State.
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Why I work with them
In July last year, a National Opposition Coalition Group adopted the ADC as its platform for the 2027 general elections.
The 2023 PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, a former Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, a former Nigeria’s Attorney-General, Abubakar Malami, and a former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, were among the founding members of the opposition group.
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Some members of the opposition, such as Messrs El-Rufai and Malami, are currently being prosecuted for corruption-related offences.
Meanwhile, in December 2025, Mr Obi, who has been celebrated as not being tainted by corruption, formally joined the ADC, with some Nigerians accusing him of associating with corrupt individuals.
But speaking during the radio programme, the former governor of Anambra State suggested that he works with individuals with corruption allegations in ADC because getting closer to them offers him an opportunity to change them positively if they are guilty.
The politician referenced Jesus Christ in the Bible, whom he said associated with prostitutes and tax collectors while on earth, in order to change them positively.
“When Jesus came here, his friends were tax collectors and prostitutes because it’s all part of what he was trying to change. It was all part of what he was trying to build as a person,” he said.
Mr Obi then stressed that the ADC politicians facing trials had not been convicted of any offence and suggested that they appeared to be victims of political persecution, not prosecution.
“Most of them are actually facing persecution, because yesterday, they were the people who were saints.
“Malami and El-Rufai, for example. Everybody knows the contributions of Malami and El-Rufai to this present government. So why are they being persecuted?
“The law is very very selectively applied because we know we could see people who have done worse,” he said.
“We know people who actually should not be part of us all moving around like stars, while this government is busy targeting those who they think are political opponents.”
‘I’m the most qualified to become ADC candidate’
Mr Obi, who has repeatedly vowed to contest for president in 2027, said that he remains the most qualified to fly the ADC’s flag in next year’s presidential election.
READ ALSO: 2027: Peter Obi pledges to revive Kano’s industries, Bank of the North
The former governor said that although he acknowledges that other individuals are seeking to emerge as the party’s presidential candidate, he is more competent and experienced than all of them.
“Who is more competent? Who has more capacity? When I say it, I know people don’t like that, but I say it to everyone. Of all those who are contesting today, I believe that if you check on our background, I’m the most qualified,” he boasted.
Mr Obi argued that he is the most qualified because he has experience in business, banking, governance and partnership with countries.
“So I understand what it means to manage private and public resources very effectively.
“So if I say I’m going to fight corruption and put the resources in critical areas of development: health and education, I know what I’m talking about because I’ve done it before on a sub-national level,” he said.
“If I said we’re going to start real savings for the future of our children, I’ve done it on a sub-national level.”
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