Former Anambra State governor and Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has explained his decision to leave the African Democratic Congress (ADC), citing a worsening political climate and internal divisions within the party.
In a statement shared on his official X handle on Sunday, May 3, Obi said his exit was driven by principle rather than personal grievances against party leaders.
“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. I will continue to respect them,” he said.
Obi, who joined the ADC in 2026 after exiting the Labour Party following internal disputes and leadership crises, said he began to observe similar patterns of instability in his new political home.
He argued that the same forces that contributed to tensions within the Labour Party appear to be resurfacing within the ADC, undermining its ability to focus on national issues.
“However, the same Nigerian state and its agents that created unnecessary crises 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, instead of focusing on deeper national problems and playing politics built more on control and exclusion than on service and nation-building,” he said.
The former governor described Nigeria’s political environment as increasingly hostile, marked by pressure, suspicion, and internal contradictions, even among allies.
“We now live in an environment that has become increasingly toxic, where the very system that should protect and create opportunities for decent living often works against the people, a society where intimidation, insecurity, endless scrutiny, and discouragement have become normal,” he said.
Obi’s political journey has seen him move across major platforms. He was previously a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before defecting to the Labour Party in 2022, where he emerged as the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, galvanising a strong youth-driven support base known as the Obidient Movement.
Following the election, efforts to build broader opposition alliances led to conversations around the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement, an informal collaboration between Obi’s supporters and those of Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria People’s Party, aimed at consolidating electoral strength across regions.
Despite these alignments, Obi said his decision to leave the ADC was also influenced by the personal toll of operating within a system he described as discouraging sincerity and integrity.
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“Even within spaces where one labours sincerely, one is sometimes treated like an outsider in one’s own home.
“You and your team become easy targets for every failure, frustration, or misunderstanding, as though honest contribution has become a favour being tolerated rather than appreciated,” he said.
He added that stepping away does not shield individuals from criticism, noting that public perception often distorts intentions.
“And when you choose to leave so that those you are leaving can have peace, and you step out into the cold, you are still maligned and your character is questioned.
“Despite all your efforts to continue working for a better Nigeria and engaging people with sincerity and goodwill, those who do not wish you well continue to attack your character and question your intentions,” he said.
Obi maintained that his political ambition is not driven by personal office-seeking, but by a desire to address systemic challenges affecting Nigerians.
“Let me assure all that I am not desperate to be 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.
“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, not knowing where their next meal will come from,” he said.
Reaffirming his belief in the country’s potential, Obi concluded with a message of hope.
“Yet, despite everything, I remain resolute. I firmly believe that Nigeria can still become a country with competent leadership based on justice, compassion, and equal opportunity for all. A new Nigeria is POssible,” he concluded.