A presidential aspirant of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the forthcoming 2027 general election, Peter Obi, has hinted he will dump the ADC if the party’s presidential primary was compromised.
The ADC is expected to hold its National Convention in Abuja on Tuesday.
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Mr Obi, the 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, spoke on Monday night when he appeared as a guest on the Arise News Prime Time.
Defence of defections
Charles Aniagolu, the programme anchor, told Mr Obi that critics accuse him of frequently defecting from and to different political parties, instead of fixing internal issues in the parties.
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But the politician, in defence, argued that his past departures from various political parties were driven by his refusal to participate in flawed practices and compromised party’s primaries.
Mr Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, said he left All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) because of “discriminatory issues” with his successor, Willie Obiano.
“In PDP, I left for the LP because people were not playing by the rules.
“It (presidential primary) was transactional. I cannot be part of transactional primaries. I cannot be paying people to go and serve them,” he said.
The former governor was asked if he would exit the ADC if he faces the same situation, considering that former PDP chieftains are now ADC members.
“I don’t have a long time in politics. But if I have a long time, if I have to do it 20 times, I will do it exactly – leave the ADC. I will not be part of (compromise), I cannot be talking about a change while being in the process of the same thing,” he responded.
Continuing, the politician added: “I’m in ADC, with the same people, some of whom I left in the PDP and other parties.
“But we are going through the same process. If that process is again compromised, I will speak out.
“I’ve never been involved in any form of rigging of election, at primary level, at the election itself, and after that.”
‘Tinubu’s govt behind Labour Party’s leadership crisis’
Mr Obi also accused President Bola Tinubu’s government of being behind the LP’s leadership crisis which has torn the party into two factions.
The former governor said he was shocked that the Supreme Court, in its judgement in April 2025, sacked Julius Abure-led Executive of the LP, but INEC did not obey the judgement until 7 January, about eight months later, when the commission recognised Nenadi Usman as the party’s national chairperson.
He said the government “put fire” in the LP to frustrate him and his presidential ambition, but he left the party.
“They were shocked that I was able to escape. So they thought I would be there for the fire to burn me,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Presidency has repeatedly denied being responsible for the LP’s leadership crisis.
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