Abuja, May 3, 2026 – Former Anambra State Governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has formally announced his departure from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), citing deepening internal divisions, court cases and suspicions that mirror the crises that forced him out of the Labour Party.
In a lengthy, reflective statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) this morning after church service, Obi described the heavy personal and emotional burdens he carries while navigating Nigeria’s “increasingly toxic” political environment.
“Many people do not truly understand the silent pains some of us carry daily — the private struggles, emotional burdens, and quiet battles we face while trying to survive and serve sincerely in difficult circumstances,” he wrote.
He painted a picture of a society where humility is mistaken for weakness, respect is seen as lack of courage, and compassion is treated as foolishness. Obi stressed that he has never used privilege to oppress others, insisting that leadership, for him, has always meant service and sacrifice.
Crucially, Obi clarified that his exit was not triggered by any personal grievance against ADC leaders. “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 stated.
Instead, he pointed to external interference and familiar patterns of disruption: “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.” Obi lamented that even in spaces where he labours sincerely, he is sometimes treated as an outsider, with his team becoming “easy targets for every failure, frustration, or misunderstanding.”
Despite stepping away “so that those you are leaving can have peace,” he said he continues to face character attacks and questions about his intentions.
The former governor emphasised that his political journey is not driven by personal ambition for high office. “Let me assure all that I am not desperate to be President, Vice President, or Senate President,” he declared. “I am desperate to see a society that can console a mother whose child has been kidnapped or killed… 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.” He ended on a note of unwavering optimism: “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.”
The statement has already drawn widespread reactions from supporters, many of whom have pledged to follow Obi to whatever platform he chooses next as the 2027 genera
