Supporters of Peter Obi, Nigeria’s former Labour Party presidential candidate and a leading opposition figure from the 2023 election, say they are being stopped from registering as members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), a Nigerian political party, both online and in person.
The supporters, widely known as Obidients, describe themselves as part of a youth-driven political movement that rose around Obi’s presidential campaign and has remained active in national politics.
One supporter, identified as Joe, told reporters that he and others went to a registration centre to sign up, but were turned back after it became known that they were Obidients.
Joe alleged that the rejection happened after they had already spent significant amounts of money to complete the registration process.
Another supporter, Duke, said he paid ₦10,000 through an online platform to register for ADC membership, but later received information from party officials that the website used was not authorised, meaning his registration was not recognised.
The Obidients argue that the reported actions are not accidental, but a deliberate move to frustrate their effort to enter the party.
As of press time on Friday, 23 January 2026, the ADC Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, had not responded to requests for comments on the allegations.
Leaders of the coalition linked to the party have also not publicly addressed the complaints or formally briefed the press on the reported plan by Obi’s supporters to join the ADC.