2027: Why I dumped Labour Party for ADC — Peter Obi

Former Anambra State governor and presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election, Mr Peter Obi, has officially declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidency under the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Obi, who made the declaration on Saturday in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, during the ‘OBIDIENT Conference’, themed “Activating the PO Effect in ADC,” described his new mission as ‘Operation Rescue Nigeria.’

Addressing a mammoth crowd of supporters, the former governor revealed that his exit from the Labour Party was a strategic move to safeguard his political future and the collective interest of his followers. According to him, the Federal Government and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had allegedly perfected plans to stifle his ambition by refusing to recognise the LP leadership.

“I left the Labour Party when I got informed that as long as I remain in the party, INEC will not recognise its leadership; that the Federal Government doesn’t want me on the ballot,” Obi stated.

Sending a strong signal to political opponents, Obi insisted that the era of electoral opacity must end in 2027. He vowed that the will of the people would be protected by all means necessary.

“Nigeria must get it right in 2027. Election results must be transmitted online in real-time, and whoever fails to transmit results will be held liable. I want to assure you that I will contest the coming election even if it is held in their bedroom, and if they don’t want to transmit the results, we will transmit them for them,” he added.

Obi also took a swipe at the current administration’s borrowing spree, warning that the nation is being plunged into a debt trap that would haunt future generations.

He noted: “The current administration has collected more loans than every other administration, and most of these loans will be repaid between 2045 and 2050, when most of the people who plunged the country into this indebtedness are no more.”

The ADC convert urged Nigerians to look beyond partisan and ethnic leanings to rescue the country from what he termed “decades of poor leadership.” He promised to prioritise human capital development through heavy investments in education and healthcare while tackling corruption head-on.

Also speaking at the event, the worldwide coordinator of the OBIDIENT Movement, Tanko Yunusa, and the Akwa Ibom State coordinator, Dr Ben Smith, urged supporters to mobilise across the country, describing the ADC as the new vehicle for the transformation of Nigeria.