Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has clarified that he remains a member of the Labour Party (LP), despite his active participation in a new political coalition spearheaded by the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Sunday, Obi dismissed growing speculation suggesting that his alliance with the ADC-led coalition indicated a defection from LP.
“Today, I’m an LP member and I remain in LP, but we have all agreed to work together in coalition for the 2027 election, and for that, we have adopted ADC,” Peter Obi said.
Obi, who joined the Labour Party in the build-up to the 2023 elections, has recently aligned with several high-profile politicians under the ADC-led coalition. The coalition’s primary objective is to form a united front capable of defeating President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election.
Prominent figures in the coalition include former Rivers State governor, Chibuike Amaechi; former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai; forme Senate President, David Mark; and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.
However, Julius Abure, the factional National Chairman of the Labour Party, has insisted that Obi and others have effectively left the LP by endorsing ADC as the coalition’s platform. He also took aim at Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, accusing him of misleading the public regarding his political allegiance.
Abure stated that, “The Labour Party leadership is moving swiftly to recalibrate and reposition the party ahead of the 2027 elections.”
He further called on Governor Otti to stop “deceiving members of the public,” claiming that the governor had already joined the caretaker committee of the coalition.
While Peter Obi has not made any formal declaration of departure from the LP, key coalition members like Amaechi, El-Rufai, and Atiku are reported to have withdrawn from their respective former political parties.
