Cracks are emerging inside the African Democratic Congress (ADC), a Nigerian opposition party, over the 2027 presidential ambition of former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, who was the Labour Party presidential candidate in Nigeria’s 2023 election.
Findings by our correspondents show that the tension is linked to pressure from Obi’s supporters, widely known as the Obidient Movement, who insist he must be considered for the party’s presidential ticket or they may walk away. Some ADC leaders, particularly from northern Nigeria, are said to be unhappy with what they describe as an overbearing posture from some Obi promoters and have started pulling back from him.
Obi, a key figure in the opposition coalition that later transformed into the ADC, joined the party on Tuesday, 31 December 2025, in Enugu, a major city in south-eastern Nigeria. Before leaving the Labour Party, he had publicly pledged to serve only one term if elected president. He has also held alliance talks with Rabiu Kwankwaso, a former Kano State governor and national leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), who is reportedly being approached to join the ADC for a possible joint ticket.
Obi’s backers argue that Nigeria’s South should hold power for eight years before it returns to the North, a long-running debate in Nigerian politics about power rotation across regions. One prominent Obi ally, Aisha Yesufu, said in a viral video after his defection that she would oppose any ticket where Obi is made vice president, saying, “If Peter Obi is running with anyone as the vice president… I will work against that ticket.”
A professor of political economy, Pat Utomi, also warned he would stop supporting Obi if he accepts a vice-presidential slot. During an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, 1 January 2026, Utomi said, “The day he becomes somebody’s vice president, I walk away.”
The disagreement has reportedly deepened suspicion between Obi’s camp and supporters of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria’s former number two leader. In a post on X on Tuesday, Atiku urged followers on both sides to stop verbal attacks that could weaken opposition unity. A party leader in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, said stakeholders were worried about the rivalry and feared it could hurt the party’s chances in 2027.
Former ADC National Chairman Ralph Nwosu said leaders are concerned but believe those driving division are a small fraction. He said Obi is committed to unity, adding that many statements made in the Obidients’ name are allegedly pushed by people who are not even in the party and may be trying to discredit the opposition.
ADC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi warned that insisting “either this candidate or nothing” could hand advantage to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigeria’s current leader. He said unity matters more than just winning the ticket.
Kingsley Ogga, Chairman of the ADC Chairmen’s Forum and Kogi State chairman, said the “Obi or nothing” attitude is slowing the party and could also harm Obi’s ambition. ADC National Treasurer Ibrahim Mani said the party is focused on building a strong alternative, not promoting any individual.
Obidient Movement National Coordinator Yunusa Tanko rejected claims of overreach, saying members are simply promoting Obi within democratic norms and have been asked not to antagonise others. Coalition of United Political Parties National Secretary Peter Ameh, an Obi loyalist, said freedom of expression should not be curtailed in an internal contest.