• Atiku denies quitting presidential race for Obi
• ADC won’t repeat failure of ‘change’

Nigeria’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections is grinding for a reshape as the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, is set to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC) before the year runs out.
 
This was as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar rejected claims that he pulled out of the 2027 presidential contest for Obi, calling the reports false and misleading.
 
Some reports had it that Atiku, who was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in 2023, stepped down for Obi. The story also claimed that Atiku supported a one-term presidency for Obi in the interest of regional balance.
 
Atiku’s media adviser, Paul Ibe, dismissed the report outright, describing it as fake news.
 
Reacting at the weekend, Ibe posted a screenshot of the claim on his verified X account and wrote: “Fake news: Not on the menu!”
 
Relatedly, the national leadership of ADC said it was working assiduously not to disappoint Nigerians by repeating the failure of ‘change’, which they brought in 2015.
 
The movement to ADC would put to rest months of speculation about where Obi would pitch his tent in the coming elections. Obi would be defecting with serving senators and other lawmakers produced on the platform of the LP as well as remnants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South-East region.
 
The Guardian gathered that Obi would be defecting alongside Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central), Tony Nwoye (Anambra North), Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South), PDP chieftain Ben Obi, and members of the Obidient Movement in the region. It is not clear if the Abia State governor, Alex Otti, who was recently approached by the PDP, is part of the movement into the ADC.
 
Spokesperson for Obi, Val Obienyem, confirmed the defection of his boss to the ADC. “Yes, it is true,” he told The Guardian in a text message yesterday.
 
Umeh told The Guardian that the event would be held in Enugu, adding that it would involve all supporters of Obi across the South-East region.
 
“They will come from Abia, Anambra, Imo and Ebonyi states to join those in Enugu where this exercise will hold on December 31,” he added.
 
Elder statesman, Chekwas Okorie, described the expected defection of Obi to ADC as a healthy development that could reshape the thinking and permutations of the 2027 general elections.
 
National President of Njiko Igbo Forum (NIF), Okechukwu Obioha, said they would support Obi to ensure he gets to the pinnacle of his political career. He, however, cautioned that the ADC should not compromise merit and integrity in the choice of its presidential candidate, stressing that Obi remains the “hope for the restoration of the country on the path of greatness”.

SPEAKING to select journalists in Abuja over the weekend, the party, through its spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, noted that Nigerians have great expectations from ADC, stressing that the party does not want to be found wanting in governance after sacking the President Bola Tinubu-led ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from office come 2027.
 
The ADC National Publicity Secretary disclosed that Nigeria still reels from the monumental failure of governance by the APC shortly after sacking the President Goodluck Jonathan-led PDP from office and electing the late President Muhammadu Buhari.
 
He dismissed insinuations in some quarters that the coalition alliance platform of ADC lost steam after unveiling its national leaders, explaining that the party recognised that winning an election goes beyond noise-making and public adulation.