Former Anambra State governor and 2023 Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Mr Peter Obi, opted for Enugu State as the venue for his defection to the African Democratic Congress, ADC, because the South-East intends to make a decisive political statement ahead of the 2027 elections, according to the Leader of the Obidients Movement, Dr Yunusa Tanko.
Tanko explained that leaders and members of the Obidient Movement, who played a key role in Obi’s 2023 presidential campaign, had already arrived in Enugu, the South-East zonal capital, for the defection event. He stated that Obi had been part of the ADC coalition for some time and that today’s gathering was intended to map out the future direction for his supporters.
When asked why Obi chose Enugu instead of Awka in Anambra State for the defection, Tanko said: “Enugu is the historical capital of the East; it adds historical solidity when the East wants to make a statement.”
He further stated: ‘The programme tomorrow(today) is for Mr Obi to chart the way forward for his numerous supporters across the country ahead of the 2027 elections. The leader is speaking to us tomorrow. The Obidient Movement is here to give its support. I am just leaving the Obidient Movement headquarters. We are here in our numbers.”
A national leader of the ADC noted that senior figures within the party would be present to receive Obi. He said: “We are excited. The National Chairman of the ADC and other leaders are likely to be there.”
The event is scheduled to take place at Nike Lake Hotel, Enugu.
Earlier in the week, Obi declared his readiness to contest the 2027 presidential election, stating that he is the most prepared for the role.
His defection follows months of speculation.
A prominent member of the Obidient Movement said: “Obi’s decision to move to the ADC was a hard one but inevitable because the ADC platform is perhaps the only one that is yet to be infiltrated by President Bola Tinubu and his All Progressives Congress, APC.
“It is the only platform which has men and women who have the capacity to pose a real challenge to the APC’s dominance. The struggle to build a Nigeria that works for all is not about him; it is about our collective survival as a nation.
“He will be moving into the ADC with a full complement of serving federal and state lawmakers and political heavyweights from across Nigeria who believe in him to boost his bargaining power.
“In the game of politics, you must be willing to compromise here and there to get what you want.”
Another ADC chieftain added, “Obi, like any other Nigerian, is welcome to join us. Our doors are wide open, and our candidate selection process will be transparent.”
However, some figures remain doubtful that Obi is taking the right step by joining the ADC. One of them is Dr Katch Onanuju, who identifies himself as one of the pioneer leaders of the Obidient Movement.
He said, “I have heard and can confirm that Mr. Peter Obi has made up his mind to join the ADC. My take is this: he has been cornered by a few persons to agree to what some of us think will eventually end his political career.
“It is unfortunate that he didn’t consider our advice to move into another party early enough. We wanted him to help rebuild a new platform when we noticed that the Labour Party had been hijacked by anti-democratic forces acting at the behest of the APC.
“He will be joining the ADC a little bit late because there are already entrenched interests, as we know who will rather destroy the platform than give the party ticket to Obi. We can only wish him the best of luck in his new journey,” he added.
