AfriPulse
September 29, (THEWILL) — The Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi has reacted to the directive by the African Democratic Congress, ADC, that its members should resign from other political parties.
Although the ADC is yet to give the timeline for the affected members to comply, the Obidient Movement, OM, has responded to the notice.
National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, who disclosed that the party wrote to Obi to declare his stand, stated that the LP leader was still a member of the coalition. But the ADC party leaders are insisting that because of ongoing restructuring in the party towards its upcoming National Convention, members have to ratify their status beyond coalition membership.
According to National Publicity Secretary of ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, the new directive is part of ongoing restructuring of the party ahead of its National Convention in December.
Abdullahi said, “Although a final order has been given to all members to resign membership of other political parties, the caucus was silent on the timeline.”
Abdullahi, who disclosed that the caucus also announced that all issues concerning African Democratic Association (ADA) had been concluded, added that, “The coalition has rested everything concerning the ADA. That means they are not interested in the registration or otherwise of the association.”
The directive came on the heels of the party’s last Wednesday’s stakeholders meeting held to discuss funding. Obi was noticeably absent from the meeting which was attended by the National Chairman, David Mark; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai; former Sokoto State Governor, Senator Aminu Tambuwal; ex-Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal and former Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi. Obi was said to have sent his apologies and reaffirmed his commitment to the coalition.
Peter Obi, a member of the coalition party, is yet to renounce his membership of Labour Party (LP). Other members like el-Rufai , Tambuwal, are yet to resign from their respective parties. As of press time, Tambuwal remains in the PDP and el-Rufai in Social Democratic Party, SDP. Atiku Abubakar has, however, resigned his membership of the PDP. In a letter dated July 14, 2025 and addressed to the Chairman of the PDP, Jada 1 Ward, Jada Local Government Area (LGA) of Adamawa State, Atiku stated that his resignation was due to irreconcilable differences that have emerged within the opposition party.
Obi still remains in the LP. In a brief interview with THEWILL recently, LP and OM officials affirmed Obi’s membership of the LP and also a partner of the ADC. Ken Asogwa, Media Adviser to National Chairman of the LP, Senator Nenadi Usman, told this newspaper that though the party gave its blessings to Obi to join the coalition, the former Anambra governor remains an authentic member of the LP. Yinusa, who stated that the OM was in coalition with Obi, took his argument further in his response to ADC’s new directive.
In a response to the ADC directive, Yinusa, who disclosed that Obi was issued with an ultimatum by the ADC, stated that Obi and the OM remain members of the coalition.
“While we remain fully committed to the vision of the Coalition and acknowledge the adoption of the ADC as the coalition platform, it is on record that His Excellency, Mr. Peter Obi aligned with the coalition’s position after the Anambra State Governorship Election, extending to the 2027 General Election,” Yinusa said, in his response.
“This adoption and pronouncement were made publicly by the party. We are therefore concerned as to why the resolution is now being altered midway into the agreement. H.E. Peter Obi, as a leader with a broad constituency, has always taken time to consult widely before making major political decisions. He did so before joining the coalition and he must also do so before responding to any ultimatum. As the Obidient Movement, being part of the main consulting bloc, we are particularly concerned about how the party intends to zone its presidential ticket. Considering that the presidency is currently held by the South, issues of equity and fairness must guide such decisions if the party truly aims to secure victory in the 2027 elections,” he further said.
According to him, the Obi and OM are equally interested in how the party zones its principal offices within the coalition, as this will ensure justice, fairness, and inclusivity — factors that will enable us to mobilise effectively across the country.
“It must be emphasised that H.E. Peter Obi is not desperate to be President of Nigeria. His ultimate mission is to see Nigeria work — to lift people out of poverty, to improve the economy, education, healthcare and security. These were the reasons he joined the coalition in the first place targeted towards good governance which are the core values of the Obidient Movement.”
Meanwhile, Abdullahi added that in the 2027 presidential race, Abdullahi said ADC’s presidential aspirants had agreed to back whoever emerged winner of the primaries.
“All the presidential aspirants have agreed to support whoever wins the primary election,” he stated. The ADC spokesman further revealed that the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) would soon announce dates for primaries in Osun and Ekiti states ahead of the off-cycle governorship elections in both states.
Author Profile
Source: TheWillNigeria | Read the Full Story…
