Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has called on Nigerians to rally behind the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as the platform to remove the All Progressives Congress (APC) from power in the 2027 general elections.
In a recent gathering captured on video, Obi revealed that opposition leaders have collectively adopted the ADC as their coalition party, expressing confidence that more political groups and individuals would join the movement before the polls.
“We, the leaders of the opposition, have adopted ADC. I can assure you that before 2027, more people will join,” Obi said. “If what the opposition wants is just to wrestle power but not to change the lives of Nigerians, count me out of it.”
Obi stressed that his political drive was rooted not in personal ambition but in a commitment to transform Nigeria. “I am not desperate for a political position nor to become president of Nigeria; I am desperate to see Nigeria change,” he stated.
He also urged lawmakers to introduce legislation that would bar elected officials from defecting after winning elections, arguing that such moves undermine democratic stability. “Our assembly should enact a law where nobody can leave their party after an election. If you want to change parties, it should be before the election; after the election, you must be there,” he said.
In July 2025, a coalition of opposition parties led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar adopted the ADC as the platform to challenge President Bola Tinubu in 2027. The coalition named former Senate President David Mark as interim national chairman and former Interior Minister Rauf Aregbesola as interim secretary.
While Atiku, the former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is reportedly eyeing the ADC’s presidential ticket, both Obi and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi have separately pledged to serve only a single four-year term if elected.
Later in July 2025, during the 2nd Annual Colloquium of Associate Professor Abdulmumin Yinka Ajia in Ilorin, Kwara State, Obi said the presidential ticket should not be zoned to Northern Nigeria, arguing that Southern Nigeria should be allowed to complete its tenure to promote unity and cohesion. “Why should we have a northerner again when we can easily allow the South to complete their tenure? Afterwards, our northern brothers can take up their eight years,” he said.
Represented by the National Coordinator of the Obidients Movement, Dr. Tanko Yunusa, Obi reiterated his readiness to lead Nigeria’s transformation. Dr. Yunusa urged the coalition to “seize this opportunity and avoid repeating the kind of political error that led to the late Moshood Abiola debacle,” referencing the annulled 1993 presidential election.
He confirmed that “Obi has already stated that he will contest in 2027, whether we get the coalition ticket or not. So we are not even contemplating whether or not he will run. But when we get to that level, the platform will be revealed.”
