Former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi has confirmed he is leaving the African Democratic Congress (ADC), citing internal disputes, court cases and division within the party.
Mr Obi made this known in a statement shared on Sunday, days after reports emerged that he and former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso were set to leave the party.
He said his decision was not caused by any personal disagreement with the party’s national chairman David Mark or former vice president Atiku Abubakar.
“Let me state clearly: my decision to leave the ADC is not because our highly respected Chairman, Senator David Mark, treated me badly, nor because my leader and elder brother, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, or any other respected leaders did anything personally wrong to me,” he said.
Obi said the same forces that created crises in the Labour Party now appear to be affecting the ADC.
He said the party was facing “endless court cases, internal battles, suspicion, and division” instead of focusing on national issues and service to the people.
According to him, sincere efforts within political spaces are often met with blame and suspicion.
“Even within spaces where one labours sincerely, one is sometimes treated like an outsider in one’s own home,” he said.
Obi also said people who seek peace are sometimes criticised after stepping aside.
He said despite the political challenges, he remains committed to working for a better Nigeria and would continue to pursue leadership built on justice, compassion and equal opportunity.
The former Anambra State governor added that he is not desperate to become president, vice president or senate president. “I am desperate to see a society that can console a mother whose child has been kidnapped or killed while going to school or work,” he said.
“I am desperate to see a Nigeria where people will not live in IDP camps but in their homes. I am desperate for a country where Nigerian citizens do not go to bed hungry.”
He ended the statement by restating his popular message that “A new Nigeria is possible.”
Peter Obi defected from the Labour Party (LP) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on December 31, 2025.
