Division is emerging within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) regarding the presidential aspirations of former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi.
Findings revealed that the issue arose from the demands of Obi’s supporters, known as Obidients, insisting he be considered for the presidential ticket or they withdraw their support.
Our correspondents learned that certain ADC leaders, particularly from the north, unhappy with what they called the domineering behavior of Obi’s supporters, started to distance themselves from him.
Obi, a key figure in the opposition coalition that became ADC, joined the party in Enugu on December 31, 2025.
Prior to his defection, Obi, the presidential candidate for the Labour Party in 2023, had vowed to fulfill only one term if he became president.
He also engaged in alliance talks with the national head of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Rabiu Kwankwaso, who is being approached to join the ADC for a joint candidacy.
His supporters, particularly those from the Obidient Movement who transitioned to the ADC from the Labour Party, have been asserting that he should be a candidate for the presidential ticket, claiming that the South deserves eight years in power before it goes back to the North.
Aisha Yesufu, a dedicated supporter and promoter of Obi’s presidential aspirations, promised to oppose the ADC if he seeks the vice-presidential position.
Yesufu, in a viral video a few days after Obi’s defection, said, “Let me go back to the Mr. Peter Obi conversation where people are like, ‘You should run as vice president.’ Me, and I’m giving you people my word now… if Peter Obi is running with anyone as the vice president, as the running mate to that person, I will work against that ticket.
“In my little capacity, I will work against that ticket. Even if I don’t support any other person, I will work against that ticket.”
In the same vein, a professor of political economy, Pat Utomi, said he would withdraw his support for Obi if the former Anambra governor accepted a vice-presidential candidacy.
Utomi, who spoke on January 1 during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today’s program said, “I can tell you that Peter Obi will contest for the presidency. The day he becomes somebody’s vice president, I walk away from his corner.”
It was gathered that Obi’s loyalists’ stance had started creating hostility between the camp of the former governor and that of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
In a statement on his X handle on Tuesday, Atiku cautioned his followers and those of Obi against verbal attacks, saying they undermined opposition unity.
Aside from the verbal assaults, our reporters discovered that numerous ADC leaders were concerned about the developments occurring between the factions of Atiku and Obi.
In an interview with The PUNCH under conditions of anonymity, a leader of the ADC in Abuja mentioned that certain stakeholders within the party had become hesitant.
The source said, “If you ask me about division, I will tell you there is none. But are we worried about what is playing out between Atiku and Obi’s supporters? Yes. Some of us know that the way they are driving their interests may jeopardize the party’s chances in 2027. While some leaders are drawing parallel lines along the two camps, some of us are threading the path of caution.”
Validating the party’s apprehension regarding the situation, Ralph Nwozu, a former national chairman of the ADC, stated that party leaders were troubled by the unfolding events.
He stated that the individuals creating division within the party were a minor segment of Obi’s supporters.
Nwozu asserted that the previous governor was dedicated to the party’s unity.
He said, “All the leaders and all critical stakeholders in the party have advised their supporters to unite and build the party first. I was with Peter Obi yesterday (Friday), and he showed me the minutes of some of the Obidient meetings that he participated in, and he was very emphatic that this is about the country, not an individual.
“More than 60 percent of some of the things you see being posted and said in the name of the Obidients, you will be surprised to see that the people behind them are not even members of the ADC. They are groups of people put together to continue to discredit ADC to ensure that the chance of opposition parties in Nigeria is dead.
“We can see some people who may be so carried away by emotion in Obi’s camp at this time, but they wouldn’t be up to five percent. Yes, we are worried, and it is important because we are all interested in building the party. I can assure you that the outcome of the party’s primaries will not cause any division in the party.”
In the same way, Bolaji Abdullahi, the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, stated that individuals who believe a specific aspirant should be the party’s candidate are creating divisions.
He cautioned that this could jeopardize the party’s chances of winning in the 2027 elections.
Abdullahi, speaking at the virtual ADC Coalition Hours on Saturday, mentioned that he had engaged with stakeholders to highlight the necessity of unity and shared dedication to achieve success in the forthcoming elections.
He said, “Those supporting this divisiveness by supporters of any of the aspirants should stop what they are doing because they are clearly working to the advantage of the APC and President Bola Tinubu. Saying it is either this candidate or nothing is not helpful, because getting the ticket alone means nothing. What is important is winning the election, and we cannot carry this divisiveness and expect to win.
“We believe that all our aspirants are eminently qualified, and vilifying anybody or any region is not helpful and will make it more difficult. We are going to ignore people creating exceptionality, and we are going to focus on what we are doing because we want to win this election.
“Those shouting ‘Peter Obi or nothing’ are equally not helping him. They are preaching division, and they are not selling him. They are not providing the room for people to support him from other places. They should stop making other people take hard stances because everyone needs to be on board for us to win this election.”
In an interview with The PUNCH, Kingsley Ogga, the Chairman of the ADC Chairmen’s Forum and Kogi State Chairman, mentioned that the behavior of Obi’s supporters was obstructing the party’s advancement.
He warned that this mindset would also harm Obi’s ambitions.
Ogga said, “We have different branches that are coming to join the coalition, and everybody would like their candidate to emerge. Everybody wants things to come to their side. I think that is why they are behaving like that.
“No doubt about it, they are our supporters, and they are on the ground. But the attitude of ‘Obi or nothing’ is affecting our party. Let’s play politics. If we decide that Obi is the best candidate, we are going to vote for him in the primary. If it is Atiku, the same thing. If it is Amaechi, the same thing.
“We cannot just say because Obi is coming, everybody must say it must be him. In politics, there is no ‘must.’ It is God that gives power. Yes, we may say it must be, but if God says it is not to be, then it will not be. So, the attitude of people who are insisting that it must be one person will divide the party and affect the party’s chances. Because that is not the way it is supposed to be.
“If they are saying it must be Obi, people of Amaechi will say it must be Amaechi, and people from Atiku’s side will say it must be Atiku. If we cannot get this thing done, these people who say ‘must’ will pull out if it is not their way. His supporters are taking it too far. I think that is the problem we are still facing. If not, ADC by now should have hit the ground running.”
Similarly, the ADC National Treasurer, Ibrahim Mani, stated that ADC leaders were focused on building a strong party to rescue the country, rather than advancing the personal ambitions of an aspirant.
He said, “What we are trying to do is to build a very strong, distinctive opposition party that will serve as an alternative to the people of this country by giving them the opportunity to elect new leaders and take them away from the same one-party state structure that is being pushed by the tendencies promoted by the ruling party today.
“So, the party is not necessarily built or structured around any individual or their ambition. We really want it to be a party that will be a rallying point for the people of this country to come together, solely for the interests of the party leaders that are there. So, we are not using any party to emphasize the ambition of any individual. That is not the objective.”
In an interview with The PUNCH, Yunusa Tanko, the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, stated that the group is not domineering and does not aim to enforce its desires on the party.
He claims that the movement aims to promote its candidate in a way that aligns with democratic principles.
Tanko stated that group members were requested to avoid provoking anyone, emphasizing that politics, similar to collaboration, enables various factions to support their candidates while maintaining the party’s overall interests.
“The truth about this is that we in the Obidient Movement are democratic. Whatever you see us do, we are only marketing our product, and our product at this moment is Mr. Peter Obi.
“We will try as much as possible, and we encourage our people not to be antagonistic. We are in a team, and in a team, it is good that you sell your own product so that people will really value it,” he said.
Tanko emphasized that although winning party primaries was crucial, the broader aim for the movement was achieving success in the general elections.
He highlighted the increasing number of Obidient backers joining the ADC as proof of the movement’s dedication to fortifying the party before the 2027 elections.
Tanko asserted that the group would persist in supporting Obi without any pressure.
Peter Ameh, the National Secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties and a supporter of Obi, cautioned that the former governor’s backers should not face limitations on their freedom of expression to favor other candidates.
He stated, “I’ve never seen a process where people try to micromanage competitions. Sometimes, they are speaking in favor of their own candidate. But they don’t want Obi’s supporters to speak. I think this comes from a mentality that freedom has limits, that freedom of expression should be managed so that those who are loud should not be loud, and that those who aren’t as visible, like Obi’s supporters, should remain quiet to balance the perception.
“For me, it is a competition. I don’t see why people want to systematically attack or shut down the energy of those supporting other candidates. Allowing people to express themselves actually helps the party grow. It also allows the party to gauge interest and see which candidate can deliver victory in the next election. That is what every party wants.
“Every candidate should be allowed to seek public acceptance and visibility. That is what strengthens the party, makes it more robust, and gives it greater purpose.”
