Peter Obi formally announced his departure from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Sunday, May 3, citing what he described as a recurring pattern of state-orchestrated internal destabilisation, the same problem he said drove him from the Labour Party (LP) before joining the ADC.
In a statement issued Sunday morning, Obi said his exit was not due to personal grievances with party leaders, including former Senate President David Mark or former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, both of whom he said he continues to respect. He did not name his next political destination.
The announcement brings to a close days of intense speculation triggered by a statement on Saturday from the Obidient Movement, the grassroots network of Obi supporters, which had urged calm while confirming that Obi was engaged in high-level consultations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The movement’s national coordinator, Yunusa Tanko, acknowledged growing concerns about political developments surrounding Obi, while insisting the consultations were aimed at identifying the most effective path forward for Nigeria.
Sources close to Obi had told journalists in recent days that the former Labour Party presidential candidate had concluded the ADC’s internal structure was not strong enough for a presidential contest, with aides suggesting a formal announcement of his next move was imminent.
The crisis inside the ADC deepened following a Supreme Court ruling that vacated an earlier injunction in the party’s leadership dispute involving former Senate President David Mark and former minister Rauf Aregbesola, effectively resetting the legal battle without resolving it.
Obi and former Kano State governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso are expected to jointly unveil a new political platform on Monday, according to Buba Galadima, secretary of the Board of Trustees of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), who spoke at an opposition unity summit in Abuja on Saturday. Kwankwaso, however, said on Sunday that no final decision had been taken on his own political future and that consultations among key stakeholders remain ongoing.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) had publicly acknowledged discussions with both men, though its deputy publicity secretary earlier described the reported defections as matters of probability rather than confirmed fact.
Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, placed third in the 2023 presidential election behind Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), according to results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
