Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, has formally joined the coalition-backed African Democratic Congress.
Obi announced his defection on Wednesday, December 31, during an event in Enugu.
The former Anambra State governor said his decision to move to the ADC ahead of the 2027 general election is driven by a desire to transform and rescue the country.
“We are ending this year with the hope that in 2026 we will begin a rescue journey,” he declared.
“We will resist rigging of the election by every lawful means in 2027,” he added.
Obi also called on opposition leaders to unite as one family under the leadership of David Mark in order to rescue Nigeria.
Those present at the event included former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha; Senators Ben Obi, Victor Umeh, Tony Nwoye, and Gilbert Nnaji; Chief Onyema Ugochukwu; Enyinnya Abaribe; Senator Sam Egwu; as well as several other serving and former senators and members of the House of Representatives.
Other party leaders from across the country were also in attendance, including former Senate President and National Chairman of the ADC, David Mark; former Sokoto State Governor, Senator Aminu Tambuwal; former governors from the South-East; and other dignitaries.
Obi, a former two-term governor of Anambra State, has moved across several political platforms in the course of his career. He governed the state under the All Progressives Grand Alliance before leaving the Peoples Democratic Party for the Labour Party to contest the 2023 presidential election.
His latest defection comes about a month after former Vice President Atiku Abubakar joined the ADC on November 24, 2025.
Atiku, a long-standing member of the PDP, served as vice president between 1999 and 2007. He later left the party for the now-defunct Action Congress to contest the 2007 presidential election, returned to the PDP, moved to the All Progressives Congress in 2014, and later went back to the PDP to run in the 2019 and 2023 presidential elections.
Both Obi and Atiku are among the key figures seeking the ADC’s presidential ticket as they prepare to challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the APC in the 2027 general election.
