Former Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has formally defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), calling on Nigerians and opposition political forces to unite ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Obi, a former Governor of Anambra State, announced his defection on Wednesday at the Nike Lake Resort in Enugu, where he delivered a New Year address that strongly criticised the current political leadership and Nigeria’s economic direction.
Presenting his move as part of a wider national rescue mission, Obi said Nigeria had reached a critical crossroads and could no longer afford politics built on division, exclusion and poor governance.
“This decision is guided solely by patriotism and national interest,” Obi said. “I now respectfully call on my political associates, members of the Obidient Movement and opposition leaders across the country to join this broad national coalition under the African Democratic Congress. History will not forgive silence in moments of national peril.”
Obi accused the current leadership of state capture, economic mismanagement and the steady erosion of democratic values, warning that the country was drifting further away from its developmental potential.
“As the year 2025 ends today, we stand on the threshold of a new beginning,” he said. “Moments of profound national challenge demand clarity of purpose and decisive action. That moment is now.”
He described Nigeria as a nation in deep distress, citing widespread poverty, unemployment and insecurity as evidence of leadership failure. According to him, more than 130 million Nigerians are trapped in multidimensional poverty, while over 80 million young people remain unemployed, a situation he said has plunged citizens into persistent hardship.
“This is not the destiny God bequeathed to over 220 million Nigerians,” Obi added.
Rejecting claims that Nigeria’s challenges are inevitable, Obi argued that the crisis facing the country is the result of poor leadership rather than a lack of resources.
“Nigeria is not poor; we are looted into poverty,” he said. “Nigeria is not broken; Nigeria is severely betrayed. The average Nigerian is not lazy or incompetent, but the system is designed to reward mediocrity and recycle failure.”
He further accused the political elite of deliberately exploiting ethnic and religious divisions as a strategy to remain in power, describing such tactics as harmful to national unity and inclusive development.
Obi also raised concerns over the credibility of future elections, insisting that meaningful electoral reforms were non-negotiable. He warned against any attempt to rig the 2027 general elections, stressing that democracy must be protected to preserve national stability.
Drawing from his international engagements, Obi compared Nigeria’s development path with that of countries that have achieved rapid economic growth through effective leadership and national cohesion. He cited Indonesia as an example, noting that both countries once shared similar economic and demographic characteristics.
“While Indonesia has grown into a trillion-dollar economy, Nigeria is battling de-industrialisation, corruption and deepening poverty,” he said.
Obi also criticised the Federal Government’s tax reforms, describing them as anti-people and economically counterproductive. He warned that reports of a forged tax law, if true, would set a dangerous precedent.
“A tax regime founded on forgery cannot build trust, unity or prosperity,” he said.
Positioning his defection as a strategic step towards 2027, Obi stressed that opposition unity remains crucial to defeating what he described as a government sustained by division and propaganda.
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