Former Anambra State governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, selected Enugu State as the venue for his defection to the African Democratic Congress because the South-East intends to make a strong political statement ahead of the 2027 elections, according to the leader of the Obidient Movement, Dr. Yunusa Tanko.
Tanko explained that members and leaders of the Obidient Movement, who were central to Obi’s 2023 presidential campaign, had already converged in Enugu, describing the city as the South-East’s zonal capital. He added that Obi had been aligned with the ADC coalition prior to the event, which he said was meant to outline the next direction for Obi’s supporters nationwide.
When asked why Enugu was chosen over Awka in Anambra State, Tanko said: “Enugu is the historical capital of the East, it adds historical solidity when the East wants to make a statement.”
He further stated: “The programme tomorrow(today) is for Mr Obi to chart the way forward for his numerous supporters across the country ahead of the 2027 elections. The leader is speaking to us tomorrow. The Obidient Movement is here to give their support. I am just leaving the Obidient Movement headquarters. We are here in our numbers.”
A senior ADC figure said party leaders at the national level were expected to attend the event to receive Obi. “We are excited. The National Chairman of the ADC and other leaders are likely to be there,” he said.
The defection event is scheduled to hold at Nike Lake Hotel in Enugu.
Earlier in the week, Obi announced his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election, declaring himself the most prepared candidate for the task. His decision to leave the Labour Party follows months of speculation.
A prominent member of the Obidient Movement said Obi’s move to the ADC was difficult but unavoidable, describing the party as one of the few platforms not yet influenced by the ruling party.
“Obi’s decision to move to the ADC was a hard one but inevitable because the ADC platform is perhaps the only one that is yet to be infiltrated by President Bola Tinubu and his All Progressives Congress, APC.
“It is the only platform which has men and women who have the capacity to pose a real challenge to APC’s dominance. The struggle to build a Nigeria that works for all is not about him, it is about our collective survival as a nation.
“He will be moving into the ADC with a full complement of serving federal and state lawmakers and political heavyweights from across Nigeria who believe in him in order to boost his bargaining power.
“In the game of politics, you must be willing to compromise here and there to get what you want.”
Another ADC leader welcomed Obi’s decision, saying: “Obi like any other Nigerian is welcome to join us. Our doors are wide open and our candidate selection process will be transparent.”
However, some voices within the Obidient Movement have expressed reservations. One of its pioneer figures, Dr. Katch Onanuju, confirmed Obi’s decision to join the ADC but warned that it could negatively affect his political future.
He said: “I have heard and can confirm that Mr. Peter Obi has made up his mind to join the ADC. My take is this, he has been cornered by a few persons to agree to what some of us think will eventually end his political career.
“It is unfortunate that he didn’t consider our advice to move into another party early enough. We wanted him to help rebuild a new platform when we noticed that the Labour Party had been hijacked by anti-democratic forces acting at the behest of the APC.
“He will be joining the ADC a little bit late because there are already entrenched interests as we know who will rather destroy the platform than give the party ticket to Obi. We can only wish him the best of luck in his new journey.”
