By Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
ABUJA — Former Labour Party presidential candidate Mr Peter Obi has announced his resignation from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), citing growing uncertainty over the party’s future and what he described as the creeping influence of state-sponsored dysfunction.
Obi, who joined the ADC just months ago following his messy departure from the Labour Party, took to his X handle on Sunday to break the news to his millions of followers.
In a lengthy and emotional statement released shortly after church, the former Anambra State governor painted a picture of a political environment increasingly hostile to sincerity and service.
“Many people do not truly understand the silent pains some of us carry daily,” Obi wrote. “We now live in an environment that has become increasingly toxic, where intimidation, insecurity, endless scrutiny, and discouragement have become normal.”
He was careful to absolve the ADC’s leadership of personal blame, noting that the party’s chairman, Senator David Mark, and elder statesman Alhaji Atiku Abubakar had treated him well. His grievance, he explained, lay with the same forces that had made life unbearable for him in the Labour Party.
“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,” Obi said, pointing to endless court cases, internal battles, suspicion, and division.
He lamented that genuine efforts at nation-building were being consumed by politics built on control and exclusion rather than service.
In a striking passage, Obi pushed back against criticisms that have long dogged him — notably accusations of stinginess and inflexibility.
“Why is the prudent management of resources, especially when invested in critical areas like education and healthcare, wrongly labelled as stinginess? Why are humility and obedience to the rule of law often taken to be weakness rather than discipline?” he asked.
The former presidential candidate also sought to reassure supporters that he was not driven by personal ambition.
“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.”
Despite the setback, Obi struck a resilient tone, insisting that Nigeria can still become a nation with competent leadership based on justice, compassion, and equal opportunity for all.
As of press time, the ADC had not issued an official response to Obi’s resignation. Political observers note that this marks the second major party exit for Obi in under two years, raising fresh questions about his political base ahead of the next election cycle.
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