Peter Obi insists he remains in Labour Party amid coalition with ADC

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in the 2023 general election, has reiterated that he remains a member of the party, despite his involvement in a new political coalition.

Obi made the clarification during an interview on Channels Television on Sunday, dismissing speculation that his participation in the coalition under the African Democratic Congress, ADC, meant he had left the Laour Party.

Obi, who joined the Labour Party ahead of the 2023 elections, recently aligned with several prominent political leaders under the ADC-led coalition, a movement aimed at unseating President Bola Tinubu through the ballot in the next general election.

Also part of the coalition are notable figures including former governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Amaechi; former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai; former Senate President David Mark; and former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

“Today, I’m an LP member and I remain in LP, but we have all agreed to work together in coalition for the 2027 election, and for that, we have adopted ADC,” Peter Obi said.

Julius Abure, the factional National Chairman of the Labour Party, recently suggested that Obi and others had effectively exited the party by participating in the unveiling of ADC as the coalition’s political platform.

In the same statement, Abure also urged Abia State governor, Dr Alex Otti, to stop “deceiving members of the public” about his affiliation, claiming that Otti had joined the caretaker committee of the coalition party.

Abure stated that the Labour Party leadership is moving swiftly to recalibrate and reposition the party ahead of the 2027 elections.

While Obi has not formally announced his departure from the Labour Party, other key coalition members such as Amaechi, El-Rufai, and Atiku Abubakar have reportedly withdrawn from their former parties.