In a declaration that has sent shockwaves through Nigeria’s nascent opposition bloc, Yunusa Tanko, Director‑General of the Obidient Movement, affirmed unequivocally that Peter Obi will contest the 2027 presidential election “with or without” the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition ticket.
Speaking at the 2nd Annual Colloquium in honour of Associate Professor Abdulmumin Ajia in Abuja on Monday, Tanko left no room for doubt:
“Obi has already stated that he will contest in 2027, whether we get the coalition ticket or not. So, we are not even contemplating whether or not he will run. But when we get to that level, the platform will be revealed.”
This pronouncement comes amid escalating tension within the ADC coalition, which only last week formally adopted the ADC as its vehicle for the 2027 contest.
Internal wrangling over zoning has pitted heavyweights—former Vice‑President Atiku Abubakar, ex‑Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, and Obi himself—against one another, each eyeing the top ticket.
Tanko used his platform in Abuja to urge coalition leaders to “cede the presidential ticket to the South” in the spirit of fairness and national cohesion:
“Why should we have a northerner again when we can easily allow the South to complete their tenure to promote unity and cohesiveness? Afterwards, our northern brothers can take up their eight years.”
Behind the bluster is a critical and dramatic truth: an ambitious opposition alliance is attempting to coalesce against President Bola Tinubu’s entrenched All Progressives Congress (APC).
Nigeria’s GDP growth of 2.5% in Q1 2025 is below the African average of 4.0%, prompting citizens to demand change. However, the ADC bloc’s factionalism poses a threat to its survival.
Historical history warns against such disunity: the annulment of Chief MKO Abiola’s massive win in June 1993 remains etched in the national mind, demonstrating all too vividly how political manipulation may undermine democratic ambitions.
Associate Professor Ajia, the event’s celebrant, lauded the ADC as “a credible and independent platform with the potential to reshape Nigeria’s political landscape,” insisting that only a robust opposition “free from the direct and indirect influence of the ruling party” can rescue a “collapsing rich nation.”
Yet unity remains elusive. As 2027 looms, the Obidient Movement’s ultimatum—Obi will run regardless—may yet prove the coalition’s defining fracture, setting the stage for a bitter face‑off that threatens to overshadow policy and principle.
