By Atoyebi Nike
The Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Mr Peter Obi, has formally defected to the African Democratic Congress, alongside several prominent political leaders from the South East geopolitical zone.
The announcement was made on Wednesday in Enugu, where the leaders declared their collective decision following months of consultations.
They said the move was part of a broader effort to build a united opposition platform capable of collaborating with like minded leaders across the country to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Prominent figures present at the event included former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha; Senators Victor Umeh, Tony Nwoye, Gilbert Nnaji, Enyinnaya Abaribe and Sam Egwu, as well as Chief Onyema Ugochukwu and other serving and former lawmakers.
Leaders from other parts of the country also attended, including former Senate President and national chairman of the ADC, Senator David Mark, and former Sokoto State governor, Senator Aminu Tambuwal.
Speaking at the gathering, Obi described the decision to join the ADC as the start of a new political journey aimed at repositioning Nigeria for inclusive and sustainable development.
He accused the ruling party of eroding democratic values, alleging that intimidation and suppression of opposition voices had become widespread.
Obi said the opposition would resist what he described as the steady decline of democratic norms and work towards building a more united and accountable political system ahead of the 2027 general elections.
