By: Ganiyu Olayinka
Peter Obi has announced his resignation from the African Democratic Congress, becoming the latest high-profile figure to exit the party amid its deepening internal crisis.
The former Labour Party presidential candidate made the announcement on Sunday via his X account, describing Nigeria’s political space as increasingly hostile to those who seek to participate in good faith. In a reflective personal statement, Obi said the conditions inside the ADC had begun to resemble those that drove him out of the Labour Party; a pattern he attributed not to the parties themselves but to what he described as deliberate interference by the Nigerian state.
“The same Nigerian state and its agents that created unnecessary crises and hostility within the Labour Party that forced me to leave now appear to be finding their way into the ADC,” he wrote.
Obi was careful to distance his exit from any personal falling-out with party leadership, specifically naming ADC National Chairman David Mark and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as individuals he continues to respect. He framed his decision instead as a response to structural problems — persistent court cases, internal divisions, and an atmosphere of suspicion that he said were consuming energy better directed at addressing Nigeria’s pressing challenges.
The former Anambra State governor also used the statement to push back against what he characterised as a broader culture of misrepresentation, in which integrity and humility are read as weakness and those who act sincerely are made to feel like outsiders. He suggested that he and those around him had frequently been scapegoated despite their genuine contributions.
On his political ambitions, Obi struck a notably measured tone, distancing himself from any perception of desperation for office. “I am not desperate to be President, Vice President, or Senate President. I am desperate to see a society that works for all,” he said.
His departure leaves his immediate political future uncertain, though he closed his statement on a note of determination rather than disillusionment, reaffirming his belief that meaningful change in Nigeria remains possible. “A new Nigeria is possible,” he said.
Obi’s exit adds further turbulence to the ADC, which is already navigating a Supreme Court ruling that has complicated its internal leadership dispute, and which has seen Rabiu Kwankwaso another prominent figure linked to the party publicly signal he is exploring alternatives ahead of the 2027 elections.
Tags: #ADC #Obi #Kwankwaso #2027 elections