Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, on Wednesday, formally defected to the African Democratic Congress.
The former governor of Anambra State urged Nigerians and opposition forces to unite under a broad national coalition to “rescue Nigeria from poverty, disunity and democratic decline.”
Obi announced his defection to the ADC at the Nike Lake Resort, Enugu on Wednesday, where he delivered a New Year address.
He accused the current political leadership of the country of state capture, economic mismanagement and systematic erosion of democratic values.
“This decision is guided solely by patriotism and national interest. I now respectfully call on my political associates, the Obidient Movement and opposition leaders across the country to join this broad national coalition under the African Democratic Congress. History will not forgive silence in moments of national peril,” he said.
Obi, who presented his defection as part of a larger national mission, said Nigeria had reached a critical turning point and could no longer afford politics of division.
“As the year 2025 ends today, we stand on the threshold of a new beginning. For Nigeria, moments of profound national challenge demand clarity of purpose and decisive action. That moment is now,” he said.
Obi described Nigeria as a nation in deep distress, citing widespread poverty, unemployment and insecurity.
He said, “With over 130 million Nigerians living in multidimensional poverty and more than 80 million youths unemployed, our people are in persistent agony. This is not the destiny God bequeathed to over 220 million Nigerians.
“Nigeria is looted into poverty”
He rejected claims that Nigeria’s crisis was inevitable, arguing that leadership failure, not lack of resources, was responsible.
“As a nation, we are not poor; we are looted into poverty. Nigeria is not broken; Nigeria is severely betrayed. The average Nigerian is not lazy or incompetent, but the system is rigged to reward mediocrity and recycle failure,” he said.
He accused the political elite of deliberately exploiting ethnic and religious divisions to retain power.
“Their expertise lies in creating more divisions to sustain themselves in office. With little or no interest in unity or inclusive development,” he said.
Obi however issued a strong warning over the integrity of future elections, insisting that reforms of the electoral system were non-negotiable.
He also cautioned against attempts to rig the 2027 general elections.
Drawing from his international engagements, Obi compared Nigeria’s trajectory with countries that have achieved rapid development through unity and effective leadership.
He also cited Indonesia as an example of how leadership choices matter. “Indonesia and Nigeria started with similar characteristics,” Obi noted, “but while Indonesia is now a trillion-dollar economy, Nigeria is grappling with de-industrialisation, corruption and deepening poverty.”
He faulted the Federal Government’s tax reforms, describing them as anti-people and economically counter-productive.
Obi described reports of a forged tax law as a dangerous precedent. “A tax regime founded on forgery cannot build trust, unity or prosperity,” Obi said.
Positioning his defection as a strategic move toward 2027, Obi said opposition unity was essential to defeating what he described as “a government that thrives on division and propaganda.”
