•He has returned to his vomit –APC

From Jude Chinedu, Enugu

Former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, has formally defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and declared his intention to lead a united opposition front to resist electoral fraud and rescue Nigeria from what he described as democratic decline.

Obi spoke in Enugu at a well-attended event that attracted the national leadership of the ADC, lawmakers and prominent political stakeholders from across the country.

Others who defected to the ADC included former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, former deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha; Senators Ben Obi, Victor Umeh, Tony Nwoye, Gilbert Nnaji, Senators Enyinnaya Abaribe, Sam Egwu, Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, Mrs Josephine Anenih, former Imo Governor, Achike Udenwa as well as several serving and former members of the National Assembly.

Notable personalities present at the event included former Senate president, David Mark; rights activist Aisha Yesufu, Prof. Pat Utomi and other political heavyweights.

Speaking at the event, Obi described the decision to join the ADC as the beginning of a new political journey aimed at reclaiming Nigeria from what he termed the misrule of the APC.

He described his defection as a strategic move to safeguard Nigeria’s democracy ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that the country could no longer tolerate electoral manipulation, intimidation of the opposition, and institutional failure.

“We have seen people who benefited from our democracy openly celebrate electoral fraud, and we are saying clearly to those planning to rig elections in Nigeria come 2027: we will resist it by every lawful and legitimate means,” he declared.

The former Anambra State governor accused entrenched political interests of turning democratic gains into tools of oppression through coercion and political gangsterism, warning that such practices pose a serious threat to national stability.

“Some people who benefited from our democracy have, at times, become accessories to its destruction. This has happened through coercion and gangsterism against the opposition. We cannot allow this to continue, and we will resist it.”

Obi called on electoral institutions, particularly the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to live up to their constitutional responsibilities ahead of the 2027 polls. “Despite their weaknesses, institutions like INEC must do the right thing. We must follow the rules and regulations, starting with eligibility and educational qualifications.”

He also criticised Nigeria’s recurring post-election controversies over candidates’ credentials, insisting that such issues must be resolved before elections are held.

“We can no longer remain in a situation where questions are asked after elections about whether a candidate attended school or not. Now is the time to verify everyone who intends to contest elections in Nigeria, and we must follow due process.”

Framing his defection as part of a broader national rescue mission, Obi said Nigeria’s challenges were rooted largely in lack of unity and poor leadership.

“Two things are critical if we are to turn Nigeria around: unity and competent leadership. Nigeria today is not united, and we must ensure national unity alongside leadership with capacity, commitment, and compassion.”

Drawing comparisons with Rwanda and Indonesia, Obi lamented Nigeria’s economic decline despite its vast resources.

“In 1995, Rwanda’s GDP per capita was $237; today it is about $1,100. Nigeria’s was $1,225 then, but today it has fallen below $1,000. For a giant of Africa, this is unacceptable.”

Obi criticised what he described as hypocrisy in governance, where leaders preach sacrifice while living in excess.

“If you ask people to fast, you must not feast. Leadership must be by example. We can no longer tolerate leaders who lie to the people.”

He also decried rising hunger, insecurity and corruption in the country, despite Nigeria’s enormous natural and human resources.

Explaining his decision to join the ADC, Obi said the move was not about party politics but national survival.

“This is not about defecting to parties; it is about rescuing Nigeria. We are forming a family—not a family of crime or deprivation, but a family of change.”

Calling for opposition unity, Obi urged all political forces opposed to the current trajectory of the country to rally under the ADC platform.

“All opposition forces must unite for the sake of Nigeria. This is a national threat, and we must fight it together, for our children.”

He concluded by outlining his vision of a productive and inclusive Nigeria driven by agriculture, manufacturing, and youth empowerment.

“We envision a united Nigeria where no one goes to bed hungry. When millions of young Nigerians are empowered to employ themselves and others, unemployment will no longer dominate our national discourse,” Obi said.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) said the defection of Mr Obi to the ADC has confirmed his return to the same political characters and structures he once publicly condemned.

Some opposition political figures including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, have adopted ADC as a political platform to challenge President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.

The APC, in a statement by its Lagos State Spokesman, Mr. Seye Oladejo, said the move has stripped him of the moral posture on which he built his political brand.

According to Oladejo, the former Labour Party presidential candidate had “openly embraced the very political ecosystem he repeatedly described as corrupt, criminal and unfit for national renewal.

“What Nigerians have witnessed is not political evolution but the confirmation of a pattern.

“Mr Obi has returned to his vomit, without remorse and without explanation, choosing convenience over conviction,” he said.

Oladejo said Mr Obi’s formal entry into the ADC marked the public unveiling of what he called “a coalition of grievance and convenience,” rather than a movement driven by ideas or ideology.”

The spokesman described the ADC as a platform where “rejected ambitions and serial aspirants converge,” adding that Mr Obi’s defection merely validated that characterisation.