Former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has officially resigned from the party and joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Obi made the declaration on Wednesday in Enugu State alongside several prominent political leaders from the South-East geopolitical zone.
The development marks a major realignment within the opposition camp ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking during the event, Obi said the decision to join the ADC was driven by the need to “rescue Nigeria from poor governance under the All Progressives Congress (APC).”
According to him, it is time for opposition figures to unite under one platform to provide Nigerians with credible leadership.
He said:
“We are ending this year with the hope that in 2026 we will begin a rescue journey. We will resist rigging of election by every lawful means in 2027.”
Describing Nigeria as a nation in distress, Obi stated that those with the country’s interest at heart can no longer remain passive.
He added that leadership must be by example, warning that it is wrong for leaders to “live large on the commonwealth while asking citizens to sacrifice.”
“A leader must lead by example. If you ask the people to fast, you must not feast,” he said.
Obi further argued that Nigeria is not a poor country, but one that has been “looted into poverty,” lamenting that the country has lost its rightful place in the comity of nations.
Among key political figures present at the defection ceremony were the National Chairman of the ADC, David Mark; former governors Achike Udenwa and Okwesilieze Nwodo; as well as prominent politicians including Onyema Ugochukwu, Senators Ben Obi, Enyinnaya Abaribe, Tony Nwoye, and Victor Umeh, among several South-East leaders.