Enugu, Nigeria — December 31, 2025
Peter Obi Joins ADC: Former Anambra State Governor and 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, has officially defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), marking a major turning point in Nigeria’s opposition politics ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Obi announced his defection on Wednesday in Enugu State at a high-level political gathering held at the Nike Lake Resort, where prominent political leaders from the South-East and beyond formally declared their alignment with the ADC as part of a broad opposition coalition.
Those who joined Obi in the declaration include Senators Victor Umeh (Anambra Central), Tony Nwoye (Anambra North), Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South), former Imo State Governor Achike Udenwa, federal lawmaker Afam Ogene (Ogbaru Federal Constituency), former APC senatorial candidate in Enugu State Princess Adaku Ogbu Aguocha, popularly known as Ada Ogbu, as well as former Sokoto State Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, alongside several other influential political figures.
Obi: “We Are Beginning a Rescue Journey”
Speaking at the event, Peter Obi said his decision to join the ADC followed months of consultations and was driven by the urgent need to rescue Nigeria from what he described as years of poor governance.
“We are ending this year with the hope that in 2026, we will begin a rescue journey,” Obi declared.
He stressed that the coalition was determined to resist electoral malpractice through lawful means ahead of the 2027 elections.
“We will resist rigging by every lawful means in 2027. We do not want to return to court only to be told that issues are pre-election matters. The pre-election process should start now,” he added.
Broad Coalition Takes Shape
Leaders at the Enugu gathering said their collective decision to adopt the ADC as a common platform was aimed at uniting opposition forces across political, ethnic, and regional lines to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
The presence of Aminu Tambuwal, a former presidential aspirant and one-time Speaker of the House of Representatives, was seen as reinforcing the national spread and strategic depth of the emerging coalition.
Also in attendance was David Mark, National Chairman of the ADC and former Senate President, whose presence underscored the party’s growing prominence as a rallying point for opposition forces nationwide.
Ada Ogbu’s Move Reshapes Enugu Politics
The Enugu declaration also formally confirmed the defection of Princess Adaku Ogbu Aguocha (Ada Ogbu) to the ADC, coming barely a day after she resigned from the APC, where she had spent 14 years as a key stakeholder.
Ada Ogbu, a well-known grassroots politician from Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State, was the APC’s senatorial candidate for Enugu East and one of the party’s most visible figures in the state. Her move is widely regarded as a significant setback for the APC in Enugu and a boost for the opposition coalition gathering around the ADC.
Otti Holds Back as Momentum Builds
Notably, Abia State Governor Alex Otti, the only sitting Labour Party governor, did not defect alongside Obi, insisting he remains a member of the Labour Party, even as he supports broader opposition collaboration.
Despite this, Wednesday’s event in Enugu is being described as one of the most consequential opposition gatherings since the 2023 general election, effectively positioning the ADC as the central platform for opposition coordination ahead of 2027.
As the year draws to a close, the Enugu declaration has reset the political narrative in the South-East and beyond, signalling the start of an intensified phase of political realignment in Nigeria.