Former Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has officially defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), urging Nigerians and opposition forces to rally around a broad national coalition ahead of the 2027 polls.
Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, announced his defection on Wednesday at the Nike Lake Resort in Enugu during his New Year address.
He said the move was driven by patriotism and the urgent need to rescue Nigeria from what he described as poverty, disunity and democratic decline.
Calling on his political associates, the Obidient Movement and opposition leaders nationwide, Obi appealed for unity under the ADC, warning that history would not forgive silence at a critical moment in the nation’s journey.
According to him, Nigeria has reached a decisive turning point and can no longer afford politics built on division. He accused the current political leadership of state capture, economic mismanagement and the steady erosion of democratic values.
As the year 2025 ends, Nigeria stands on the threshold of a new beginning. Moments of profound national challenge demand clarity of purpose and decisive action, and that moment is now, Obi said.
Painting a grim picture of the country’s situation, he cited widespread poverty, unemployment and insecurity, noting that over 130 million Nigerians live in multidimensional poverty, while more than 80 million youths are unemployed.
He argued that Nigeria’s predicament was not inevitable but the result of leadership failure.
Nigeria is not poor; we are looted into poverty. Nigeria is not broken; it is severely betrayed. Our people are not lazy or incompetent, but the system is designed to reward mediocrity and recycle failure, he said.
Obi further accused the political elite of exploiting ethnic and religious divisions to retain power, warning that such practices undermine national unity and inclusive development.
He also raised concerns about the credibility of future elections, insisting that comprehensive electoral reforms were non-negotiable. He cautioned against any attempt to manipulate the 2027 general elections, stressing that democracy must be protected.
Drawing from his international engagements, Obi compared Nigeria’s development path with countries such as Indonesia, which he said started with similar characteristics but is now a trillion-dollar economy due to purposeful leadership and national unity.
In contrast, he noted that Nigeria continues to struggle with de-industrialization, corruption and deepening poverty.
Obi criticized the Federal Government’s tax reforms, describing them as anti-people and economically counterproductive. He also described allegations of a forged tax law as dangerous, warning that a tax regime founded on forgery cannot inspire trust, unity or prosperity.
Positioning his defection as part of a broader strategy toward 2027, Obi maintained that opposition unity was essential to challenge what he described as a government sustained by division and propaganda.
