Peter Obi, the former Labour Party presidential candidate, has quit the African Democratic Congress (ADC), amid deepening internal strife and what he described as the country’s corrosive political climate.
In a statement posted Sunday on X, formerly Twitter, Obi said his exit was as the result of prolonged reflection and “silent pains” endured in a system rife with intimidation, insecurity, and suspicion.
“We now live in an environment that has become increasingly toxic, where the system that should protect and create opportunities often works against the people,” he wrote.
Obi, who joined ADC seeking reform-minded allies, cited unfair criticism from supposed supporters and a culture where humility is mistaken for weakness.
He emphasized that his departure stems not from personal grievances with party chairman David Mark, a former Senate president, or elder statesman Atiku Abubakar, both of whom he continues to respect.
Instead, Obi blamed “unresolved political conflicts” spilling over from his Labour Party days, including endless court cases and infighting that distract from national priorities like hunger and displacement.
“The same Nigerian state and its agents that created unnecessary crises… now appear to be finding their way into the ADC,” he said, lamenting a focus on “control and exclusion” over service.
Obi, who has no thirst for office said —“I am not desperate to be President, Vice President or Senate President”—reiterated his commitment to a Nigeria where citizens live with dignity. “A new Nigeria is possible,” he concluded.
