Atiku believes that if he and Obi put together the votes they scored in 2023, …they would most likely defeat Tinubu. Both compliment each other. Atiku is 79, Obi is 64.
Popular politician, Peter Obi is one man very many people are talking about right now.
Despite his high visibility in the political space, many have been asking a lot of questions about his political future. What next for Peter Obi, they keep asking…..CONTINUE READING
A few weeks back, many still had their doubts as to where he belongs politically.
Some wondered if he was part of the Coalition. Some even kept asking if he was still a member of Labour Party.
Some others wondered which platform he wanted to use to contest for Presidency in 2027. There are those who were confused about his new found relationship with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Will he be running with Atiku or will it be the other way around, with he running for Presidency and Atiku becoming his running mate?
Last week, at the official event heralding the Coalition joining the ADC, Peter Obi was there. He was also officially introduced. And he took a bow on the high-table.
City People gathered that Atiku plan is for him to get the ticket and for Peter Obi to be his running mate. Atiku believes that if they can build a formidable coalition and he teams up with Peter Obi, the coalition will beat Pres. Tinubu and the APC silly at the polls. He believes that if he and Obi put together the votes they scored in 2023 and add that of other members of the Coalition to it, they would most likely defeat Tinubu. Both compliment each other. Atiku is 79, Obi is 64.
His appearance at the ADC event has made the Julius Abure faction of the Labour Party (LP) to give Peter Obi a 48-hour ultimatum to resign from the party, citing his close ties with the David Mark-led opposition coalition.
In a statement released last Thursday, the group’s spokesman, Obiora Ifoh, criticized the coalition, stating that its members had previously mismanaged the country and could not be trusted to lead a “new Nigeria.”
“We are aware of several nocturnal meetings between Peter Obi and some of our members, lobbying them to join him in his new party. We’re also aware that a number of them have refused to defect with him.
“Labour Party has consistently said it is not part of the coalition and therefore, any of our members who is part of the coalition is given within 48 hours to formally resign his membership of the party.
“Labour Party is not available for people with dual agenda, people with deceptive persona. The party will not avail itself to individuals who have one leg in one party and another leg elsewhere,” the statement read.
The group further described the coalition’s members as “opportunistic politicians interested in relaunching themselves into the circle of power, people who are desperate to continue holding on to power.”
Last Wednesday, the coalition formally declared the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its platform for the 2027 general election, appointing former Senate President David Mark and ex-Osun Governor Rauf Aregbesola as interim National Chair and Secretary, respectively.
The Abuja meeting included prominent politicians such as Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar, Nasir El-Rufai, Rotimi Amaechi, Dino Melaye, Solomon Dalong, Dele Momodu, Gabriel Suswam, Ireti Kingibe, Emeka Ihedioha, and Sadique Abubakar.
But the acting National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Nenadi Usman, has affirmed that the party fully supports its 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in joining the opposition coalition spearheaded by David Mark.
In a statement issued last Thursday, Usman criticized the Julius Abure-led faction of the party, describing them as “political jesters without any legitimate authority within the Labour Party.”
Speaking through her aide, Ken Asogwa, Usman emphasized that Abure and his associates—who recently issued a 48-hour ultimatum demanding Obi’s resignation—have no legal or party recognition. She noted that they were previously removed by the Supreme Court and suspended from the party for repeated acts of misconduct and anti-party behavior.
Usman reiterated that the Labour Party had officially endorsed Obi’s involvement in the coalition discussions. The acting LP chair said, “For the avoidance of doubt, the leadership of the Labour Party, on May 26, 2025, publicly declared its full support for Mr. Obi’s involvement in the coalition efforts aimed at creating a robust political alternative to rescue Nigeria from the disastrous misrule of the APC. That position has not changed.
“We wish to reaffirm that Mr. Peter Obi’s participation in the coalition activities, including the ADC unveiling, was done with the full knowledge, approval, and support of the Labour Party leadership.
“It is the remnants of the disorder and mess left behind by these impostors that the current leadership under Senator Nenadi Usman continues to clean. Therefore, members of the public, and especially the media, are urged to disregard the distractions and mischief from these discredited elements.”
Peter Obi feels his political pedigree will help him. He was the Governor of Anambra State under President Olusegun Obasanjo from 17 March 2006 to 3 November 2006, when he was impeached. He was reinstated on 9 February 2007 and continued his tenure until 2010. He was re-elected for his second term until 7 March 2014. A former member of the Labour Party since 2022, he was the presidential candidate in the 2023 Nigerian presidential election.
Obi sought the Vice presidential nomination in 2019, along Atiku Abubakar after decamping to Peoples Democratic Party but lost to Muhammadu Buhari. He became a member of the Labour Party in 2022 and was handed the presidential ticket by Patrick Utomi during the primary election of the party. He selected Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed as the Vice presidential candidate for the 2023 Nigerian presidential election, and their ticket lost to president and Vice President, Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima. Obi’s presidential campaign has been described as populist, especially with firing up a group of supporters called the ‘Obidients’.
In 2025, Obi left the Labour Party to join the African Democratic Congress, alongside his former rival Atiku Abubakar. The two opposition leaders intend to present a united front against the APC in the 2027 presidential elections.
After the 2015 General Election, President Goodluck Jonathan appointed Obi as the Chairman of the Nigerian Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), and on 12 October 2018, Obi was named as the running mate to Atiku Abubakar under the Peoples Democratic Party’s for the presidential election in 2019. Obi was the third in the results.
On 24 March 2022, Obi declared his intention to run for President of Nigeria under the party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Afterwards, he pulled out, announcing that he will be running under the Labour Party instead.
Obi wrote to the leaders of PDP on 24 May 2022, to resign his membership,
During the 2023 Presidential election campaign young people under 30 proved to be some of the biggest Obi’s supporters, showing their support via social media, protests and street marches. Aisha Yesufu endorsed Obi in her first-ever endorsement of a presidential candidate. Young supporters of Obi’s campaign were generally called the “Obidients”, which was coined from his name “Obi”. In a Business Day opinion article, Chikwurah Isiguzo argued that:
[The Obidients] are attracted by Peter Obi’s ideology of frugality, economic production rather than the ostentatious consumerism and waste, and resourceful management and investment in key sectors, for economic growth and development.
Political commentators have generally argued that Obi’s third party candidacy appeals to young voters dissatisfied with the two major parties, which has resulted in the “biggest political movement in recent Nigerian history.” With his core message of prudence and accountability, Obi has managed to gain the backing of voters for his previously largely unknown Labour Party into a strong third force against two political heavyweights, APC and PDP. Before campaigns were officially kicked off, Obi’s supporters held a series of One Million Man Marches in several Nigerian cities including Makurdi, Calabar, Lafia, Port Harcourt, Afikpo, Owerri, Enugu, Auchi, Abuja, Kano, Ilorin, Abakaliki and Ibadan. The marches were not part of the official campaigns; as they were led by volunteer Obi supporters and not Obi’s in-house team or political party. The marches experienced massive turnouts.
Late Physician, Dr. Doyin Okupe initially was the temporary running mate of Obi until a substantive candidate could be selected. In the run-up to the final selection of a running mate, media outlets reported that there was an effort to have former Senator Shehu Sani of Kaduna State serve as Obi’s running mate.
On 8 July 2022, Obi unveiled his running mate, Senator for Kaduna North Senatorial District Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed.
The results were announced on 1 March 2023. Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress party, was named the president-elect with 8.79 million votes. Obi received 6.1 million votes, and won in both Lagos and Abuja. This put Obi in third place behind winner Bola Tinubu and People’s Democratic Party nominee Atiku Abubakar. Due to the elections being rife with several allegations, reports and evidence of voter manipulation, disenfranchisement and rigging, Obi announced that he would challenge the election results, stating that, “We won the election and we will prove it to Nigerians”. He did, but lost.
-Citypeople
