Former Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has formally defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Obi, a former Governor of Anambra State, announced his defection on Wednesday at the Nike Lake Resort, Enugu, where he delivered a New Year address, calling on Nigerians and opposition forces to unite under a broad national coalition to “rescue Nigeria from poverty, disunity and democratic decline.”
Explaining his decision, Obi said it was driven by patriotism and national interest.
“This decision is guided solely by patriotism and national interest. I now respectfully call on my political associates, 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,” he said.
Presenting his defection as part of a wider national mission, Obi said Nigeria had reached a critical moment and could no longer afford divisive politics.
“As the year 2025 ends today, we stand on the threshold of a new beginning. For Nigeria, moments of profound national challenge demand clarity of purpose and decisive action. That moment is now,” he said.
He described Nigeria as a country in deep distress, citing poverty, unemployment and insecurity.
“With over 130 million Nigerians living in multidimensional poverty and more than 80 million youths unemployed, our people are in persistent agony. This is not the destiny God bequeathed to over 220 million Nigerians.
Nigeria is looted into poverty,” Obi said.
Rejecting claims that Nigeria’s challenges were inevitable, Obi argued that leadership failure—not lack of resources—was at the root of the crisis.
“As a nation, we are not poor; we are looted into poverty. Nigeria is not broken; Nigeria is severely betrayed. The average Nigerian is not lazy or incompetent, but the system is rigged to reward mediocrity and recycle failure,” he said.
Obi accused the political elite of deliberately exploiting ethnic and religious divisions to retain power.
“Their expertise lies in creating more divisions to sustain themselves in office, with little or no interest in unity or inclusive development,” he added.
He also issued a warning over the integrity of future elections, insisting that reforms of the electoral system were non-negotiable and cautioning against attempts to rig the 2027 general elections.
Drawing from international examples, Obi compared Nigeria’s trajectory with countries that had achieved rapid development through effective leadership, citing Indonesia.
“Indonesia and Nigeria started with similar characteristics,” he noted, “but while Indonesia is now a trillion-dollar economy, Nigeria is grappling with de-industrialisation, corruption and deepening poverty.”
Obi further criticized the Federal Government’s tax reforms, describing them as anti-people and economically counterproductive, and condemned reports of alleged alterations to tax laws.
“A tax regime founded on forgery cannot build trust, unity or prosperity,” he said.
Positioning his move as part of preparations for 2027, Obi said opposition unity was critical to defeating what he described as “a government that thrives on division and propaganda.”
