Former Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, alongside other political leaders from Nigeria’s South-East geopolitical zone, has declared for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), citing the need to “rescue Nigeria from the poor governance of the All Progressives Congress (APC)”.
The leaders made the declaration on Wednesday during a meeting held in Enugu, the Enugu State capital, after what they described as months of wide-ranging consultations.
According to them, the decision to join the ADC was part of a broader plan to align with other opposition leaders across the country in a collective effort to unseat the ruling APC, which they accused of mismanaging the nation.
Obi said, “As the year 2025 ends today, we stand on the threshold of a new year, which we hope will mark the beginning of Nigeria’s long-awaited socio-economic transformation,” Obi said.
“For Nigeria, that moment of decisive action is now. Nigeria is not poor, we are looted into poverty.”
Obi painted a grim picture of the country’s condition, describing Nigeria as “a nation in grave distress,” plagued by insecurity, unemployment, poverty and institutional decay.
“With over 130 million Nigerians living in multidimensional poverty and more than 80 million youths unemployed, our people are in persistent agony,” he said.
“Nigeria is not collapsing under the weight of its people; Nigeria is suffocating under the weight of impunity and greed of her leadership.”
He argued that the country’s challenges are not rooted in a lack of resources but in leadership failure. “As a nation, we are not poor; we are looted into poverty. As a nation, we are not broken; we are severely betrayed,” Obi declared, drawing loud applause from supporters.
“We most strongly demand urgent reforms of the entire electoral process,” he said. “At the heart of our coming national transformation is electoral integrity. We can no longer toy with elections, especially when we see the tragedies of truncated democracies across West Africa.”
Obi warned that attempts to rig or manipulate the 2027 elections would be resisted. “The will of the Nigerian people is sacrosanct and non-negotiable,” he said. “Those plotting to subvert it in 2027 should rethink their actions. Nigerians have endured enough.”
Drawing from his international engagements, Obi cited Rwanda, Indonesia and several Asian economies as examples of what unity and competent leadership can achieve.
“In 1995, Rwanda’s GDP per capita was about $200. Today, it is over $1,000,” he said. “Nigeria’s GDP per capita in 1995 was $1,225, but has declined to below $1,000 after 30 years. This is a tragedy for a country called the ‘Giant of Africa.’”
He attributed the divergence to leadership choices and national consensus, referencing his interactions with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Indonesian leaders and renowned scholars including Nobel laureate Prof. James Robinson.
“Our problem is not ignorance,” Obi said. “Nations like Nigeria know what to do to prosper but refuse to do so. The problem is leadership and lack of unity.”
Obi also criticized the Federal Government’s fiscal policies, particularly ongoing controversies surrounding tax reforms.
“It is bad fiscal policy for government to make the people poorer and still tax them more,” he said. “Taxing poverty will not create wealth; it will create more poverty.”
He described reports of a forged tax law as alarming. “For the first time in our history, a tax law is reported to be forged,” Obi said. “A forged tax regime cannot create wealth and cannot sustain national unity.”
In a major political declaration, Obi formally announced his alignment with a broad opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress, led by former Senate President David Mark.
“Having been part of the coalition from inception, I now respectfully call on my supporters, the Obidient Movement and opposition parties across the country to join this broad national coalition under the ADC,” he said. “This decision is guided solely by patriotism and national interest.”
He dismissed fears of political invincibility by the ruling elite. “They have built a house of cards with lies and errors,” Obi said. “Democracy offers us the opportunity to reject them at the polls. Our job in 2027 is to vote them out and keep vigil until they are out.”
Ending on a hopeful note, Obi urged Nigerians not to succumb to despair. “This is not the time for silence or ethnic chauvinism,” he said. “It is time to unite to dismantle the criminal enterprise destroying Nigeria.”
“Together, let us move forward with courage, unity and resolve,” Obi concluded. “A new, united, productive and inclusive Nigeria is possible.”
The event marked Obi’s most forceful political statement since the 2023 election and is expected to reshape opposition alignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Sahara Reporters
