The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party and a former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, a, a few days ago minced no words when he engaged some of his loyalists, stating that he would be on the ballot in the 2027 presidential election. However, he did not disclose on which platform his ambition will be actualised. Yet, uncertainties shroud his assertion, following divisions in opposition camps he is aligning with. ASSISTANT EDITOR EMMANUEL BADEJO writes on which way for him.
NIGERIA’s political landscape witnessed several events in the last few weeks. The events are not unusual in a democratic state. Early last month, a coalition adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC). While the Social Democratic Party (SDP) suspended its National Chairman, Shehu Gabam, the All Progressives Congress (APC), the ruling party, elected a new National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda. It is also on record that at least 110 associations have shown interest in being registered as political parties. These are part of the game plans that usually trail any major election. Therefore, these developments are not new as the 2027 general election approaches.
Of all the events, the one that has gained more traction is the ADC coalition. The coalition, officially unveiled in July, encompasses prominent figures including former vice president and 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar; 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi;, immediate past Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai; former governor, Rivers State and immediate past Minister of Transport, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, and others. They have coalesced to offer an alternative to APC’s Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections.
While most of the leading figures are reportedly working towards getting either the presidential or vice presidential ticket of the ADC and have resigned membership of their former political families, the fate of the ‘light’ of the Labour Party (LP), Obi, hangs in the balance as he still maintains his membership with LP. And as permutations, calculations and realignments are still evolving in the ADC vehicle, Obi, on June 29, on X space, didn’t mince any words when he assured his supporters that he would be on the ballot to contest the 2027 presidential election. He equally spoke of the possibility of serving just one term of four years.
The former Anambra governor also clarified what was then speculated about his being part of a coalition where he would be the running mate to some politicians, denying that he entered into any such agreement. He said: “I have not joined in any form of discussion on joint tickets including with (former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar). If there is any form of agreement that will restrict me to four years in office, I will comply with the agreement and be ready to leave office by 28th May, 2031.”
With Obi’s declaration, pundits are wondering what the future holds for him as his party is split into two or three factions. The ADC is already looking unattractive and a no-go area following wrangling within the group over allegation that Atiku has hired the party and its machineries to contest the 2027 election. Similarly, there are rumours making the rounds that Obi is considering returning to the PDP. But, if he does, will he get its presidential ticket, when a faction of the party is already wooing former President Goodluck Jonathan to return and take the PDP’s ticket? Pundits ask: where does Obi stand and what are his chances of clinching the ticket of any major opposition party?
Factions in LP weaken party’s influence
That Obi is still a member of LP is not in doubt. But his party is caught in a battle of supremacy between Julius Abure-led and Esther Nemadi factions. The latter is backed by the only governor the party produced, Alex Otti, Obi and their loyalists.
Things are falling apart for the Labour Party. From relative obscurity, the LP emerged as a third force in Nigerian politics almost overnight, following the entrance of former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi into the party ahead of the election. The youth embraced the LP.
But, the LP is currently facing a serious challenge. Internal squabble surfaced within the party, after the general election, following allegations of corruption against its National Chairman, Julius Abure. One allegation surfaced after another; putting the national chairman under pressure to defend his integrity and that of the party. This development, it is said, has dealt a heavy blow to the image of the party that had embodied the hope of many youths.
Speaking on the crisis rocking the LP, Obi said steps were being taken to get the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to endorse the Nenadi Usman-led National Caretaker Committee (NCC) of the LP, based on the April 4 Supreme Court judgment. The X Space interaction would suggest that Obi still has in mind to run the 2027 polls on the ticket of the LP, especially by disclosing the fact that his faction of the party led by a former Minister, Senator Nenadi Usman, was approaching INEC to sort out any lingering issues.
Sharing his thoughts on the imbroglio, the Chairman of the Partners for Electoral Reform, a non-governmental organisation, Ezenwa Nwagwu echoed this viewpoint.
He said the infighting and internal divisions within opposition parties “have weakened their unity and effectiveness, making it harder to present a cohesive alternative to the ruling party”. He added: “But now, cases of corruption and a clear violation of laws by opposition figures are providing ethical challenges that make it harder for them to challenge the government.
“Some people might find some of my positions very uncomfortable. But to transform our country, we must embrace some hard truth and continue to educate Nigerians on how to hold our politicians to account, whether in government or out of government.
“Is the economy in a bad state? Yes. Is there a heightened security challenge? Yes. But in the wake of the internal crisis and corruption allegations rocking the leadership of the opposition party, especially the Labour Party, one wonders how such opposition can hold the government in power to account.”
Besides squabble over party leadership, Obi’s open alignment with the coalition has also increased tension within the party. Answering questions on the same x space, Obi acknowledged “being involved in coalition talks because of his desire to rescue Nigeria from the drift by aligning with all patriotic Nigerians.” He said of the coalition: “If the coalition is not about stopping the killings in Benue, Zamfara, how to revive our economy, how to make our industries productive, how to put food on the tables of Nigerians…. Count me out. Nigeria is currently at war. We need to do something about it.” He urged Nigerians to see the need to rescue the country with him, stating, “I will bring stability to Nigeria within two years in office. Leaders of Nigeria should sit down in Nigeria and fix Nigeria.”
But a faction loyal to Abure had since reacted calling on the former Anambra governor to relinquish his membership status with the LP. The Labour Party while reiterating its disinterestedness in joining the coalition said that the members of the coalition are power mongers whose only interest was self and not the people.
The party warned Nigerians that the often mouthed ‘new Nigeria is Possible’ is a ruse and cannot be achieved with the assemblage of old, recycled, desperate and frustrated politicians in the coalition.
In a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of Labour Party, Obiora Ifoh, the party says that all those who mismanaged Nigeria over the years are the ones that gathered themselves in the coalition while noting that desperate politicians can’t birth new Nigeria.
“We are aware of several nocturnal meetings between Peter Obi and some of our members, lobbying them to join him in his new party. We’re also aware that a number of them have refused to defect with him.
“Labour Party has consistently said it is not part of the coalition and therefore, any of our members who are part of the coalition is given within 48 hours to formally resign his membership of the party.
“Labour Party is not available for people with dual agenda, people with deceptive persona. The party will not avail itself to individuals who have one leg in one Party and another leg elsewhere. These people will claim to be in the Labour Party in the morning, and in the evening, they are in coalition.
“These people are opportunistic politicians who are only interested in relaunching themselves into a circle of power, people who are desperate to continue holding on to power.
The new Nigeria of our dreams can only be realized through the Labour Party and the party is willing to lead Nigerians along that trajectory.”
Obi’s dual loyalty under fire
While ADC courts Obi warmly, and the PDP succinctly wishes to have him, a faction within Obi’s own LP’s warns against divided loyalty. Umar Farouk Ibrahim, representing the Abure-led LP faction, declared that Obi risks being disqualified from securing the LP’s 2027 presidential ticket if he continues his engagement with the ADC coalition.
Ibrahim stressed that the LP would not entertain “half-in, half-out” affiliations, and highlighted Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed as an equally credible contender should Obi be deemed ineligible.
Speaking on national television, Ibrahim said no individual has an automatic claim to the party’s presidential ticket, and warned that Obi must fully align with LP to remain eligible.
“Datti is qualified to contest for the presidency as much as Peter Obi,” he said, referring to Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, Obi’s 2023 running mate.
“But if those people don’t come back to us, they lose that opportunity. There’s no way you’ll continue to romance with other political parties and then still come back with one leg in the Labour Party, no, ab initio, you may be disqualified.”
Another faction, aligned with acting chair Usman Nenadi, appears more accommodating of Obi’s dual positioning. However, Obi’s coalition involvement and LP’s internal crisis, marked by leadership contests between factions, casts shadow over his path to LP’s ticket.
The seeming contradiction, ADC’s urgent pursuit of Obi and LP’s factional resistance, highlights a broader political tension: can the opposition effectively challenge APC if its leading asset faces internal resistance?
ADC: Atiku, Obi camps rivalry escalate
Atiku’s presidential ambition is reportedly shaping the internal structure of the ADC while Obi is said to be struggling for influence. Insiders within the ADC, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, alleged that Atiku financed efforts to take control of the party as a platform to challenge President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
A party source disclosed that most of the ADC’s state chapters, zonal bodies, and even its national leadership are now largely aligned with Atiku.
However, ADC interim National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, refuted claims that Atiku had taken over the coalition. He insisted that the group remained united in its objective to dislodge Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress in the next election.
On July 3, ADC’s 2023 presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, accused the David Mark-led interim ADC leadership of plotting Atiku’s candidacy.
Recently, on August 4, a leaked memo from the Obidient Movement to Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, raised concerns about the alleged sidelining of its members from ADC’s major decision-making processes.
In a document dated July 29, 2025, and signed by the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Tanko Yunusa, Obi’s group accused the coalition of marginalising its members despite their pivotal role in strengthening the political bloc.
The memo reads, “We write on behalf of the Obidient Movement to express our severe grievances regarding recent developments within the coalition’s systems.
“Our people are deliberately excluded at all levels. While we remain committed to the shared vision of building a united and formidable front for the task ahead, we must raise the following issues that our members have repeatedly flagged.”
Listing their grievances, Tanko cited lack of inclusion in major deliberations. “Several of our designated representatives and members are reportedly being excluded from crucial meetings where major decisions affecting the coalition are made. This creates an impression of marginalisation and undermines trust, which is essential for building a sustainable partnership,” he lamented. This indicates that Obi’s camp is being emasculated, portending a no-go area for Obi. Permutations are that Obi might pull out of the coalition arrangement.
PDP card on the table
The leading opposition party has in recent time been making overtures to Obi to return to its fold. The PDP Governors’ Forum chairman and Bauchi State governor, Bala Muhammed has publicly pleaded with Obi to return to its fold.
Also, a two-time member of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Abduljabbar Rufai, has revealed that the party is in active talks with former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to bring him back ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Rufai while speaking with journalists in Abuja recently, explained that the move is part of the PDP’s wider strategy to unite its members and strengthen its position against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
He described Obi’s possible return as a ‘strategic’ step that could improve the PDP’s chances, especially in the Southeast and South-South regions where Obi enjoys strong support.
“Leaders of the PDP recently visited Peter Obi, and we believe his return to the PDP, a party he once called home, would be highly strategic and impactful.
“Looking at the 2023 polls, it’s clear that Peter Obi garnered the majority of his votes from the Southeast, which has traditionally been a stronghold of the PDP. If we can bring him back, it would be a game-changer for the party and a boost to our electoral prospects,” he said.
PDP woos Jonathan
Obi may meet a dead end if he returns to the PDP as another faction within the leading opposition party is routing for former president Goodluck Jonathan, who is being promised an automatic ticket if he returns to the party.
Daniel Woyengikuro, the PDP’s National Financial Secretary, made this disclosure during an interview with a national newspaper in Abuja. Woyengikuro emphasized Jonathan’s continued influence within the party and the nation’s politics, describing him as the PDP’s national leader.
“Is he not the best candidate for us at this moment? He is not just a former president; he is the leader of the party now. Aside from [former President Olusegun] Obasanjo, the next person in line is him. Goodluck Jonathan is the national leader of this party,” Woyengikuro said.
He confirmed that the PDP has been consulting with Jonathan and his associates, aiming to bring him back into the party’s mainstream leadership as part of a larger strategy to reposition the party and address Nigeria’s growing political and economic challenges.
