Former Nigerian presidential candidate Peter Obi has announced his departure from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), just months after joining the party, blaming a toxic political environment marked by state infiltration, legal entanglements, and internal strife.
In a lengthy statement posted on his official X account on Sunday, Mr Obi said the same forces that drove him from the Labour Party ahead of the 2023 general election were now “finding their way into the ADC”.
He did not disclose which political platform he would align with next, leaving his political future uncertain ahead of the 2027 presidential race.
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Mr Obi, a former governor of Anambra State who ran as the Labour Party candidate in 2023, described Nigeria’s political landscape as increasingly hostile, where intimidation, insecurity and relentless scrutiny had become routine.
He lamented that state systems meant to protect citizens often worked against them, while individuals striving for sincere public service faced mounting pressure both publicly and privately.
“We now live in an einvornment that has become increasingly toxic, where the very system that should protect and create opportunities for decent living often works against the people,” he wrote.
The 63-year-old politician was careful to clarify that his exit stemmed from no personal grievance with ADC leaders, including former Senate President David Mark or former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, both of whom he said he continued to respect.
Instead, he pointed to a recurring pattern of internal division, legal disputes and the infiltration of what he called “destabilising forces”.
“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,” Mr Obi said.
“However, the same Nigerian state and its agents that created unnecessary crisis and hostility within the Labour Party that forced me to leave now appear to be finding their way into the ADC, with endless court cases, internal battles, suspicion, and division.”
Mr Obi, who enjoys significant support among young and urban voters, also reflected on broader societal ills, noting that integrity, humility and adherence to due process were often misinterpreted as weakness.
He said genuine efforts toward nation-building were increasingly undermined by suspicion, exclusion, and political manoeuvring focused more on control than service.
“There are moments I ask God in prayer: Why is doing the right thing often misconstrued as wrongdoing in our country? Why is integrity not valued?” he wrote.
Despite his departure, Mr Obi reaffirmed his comment on Nigeria’s progress, insisting that his ambition was not driven by the pursuit of political office.
He said he was “desperate to see a society that can console a mother whose child has been kidnapped or killed while going to school or work” and a Nigeria where citizens would not live in internal displacement camps or go to bed hungry.
“Let me assure all that I am not desperate to be President, Vice President, or Senate President,” he said. “I am desperate to see a Nigeria where people will not live in IDP camps but in their homes.”
Mr Obi’s announcement followed days of speculation in Nigerian media that he planned to leave the ADC, which he joined barely six months ago.
Reports had linked him to the newly registered National Democratic Congress (NDC) alongside former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso.
However, Mr Obi made no mention of the NDC in his statement.
Separately, Mr Kwankwaso said on Sunday that neither he nor his associates had taken a final position on their political future, adding that consultations among key stakeholders were still in progress. He acknowledged, however, that the ADC was grappling with mounting legal and structural challenges.
Mr Obi ended his message on a note of defiance, writing: “A niew Nigeria is possible.”
Political analysts say Mr Obi’s departure from yet another party raises fresh questions about his ability to build a stable political structure ahead of 2027, even as his personal popularity remains substantial, particularly among Nigeria’s disaffected youth.
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