Public affairs analyst Babajide Balogun has criticized former Anambra Governor Peter Obi's decision to leave the African Democratic Congress (ADC), describing it as "evasion disguised as principle." Obi announced his departure from the ADC on Sunday, May 3, citing legal issues within the coalition.
Analyst Questions Obi's Political Consistency
Reacting to the development, Balogun stated that Nigeria needs leaders willing to endure political contests rather than shift allegiances. "Obi's recurring retreat from political combat raises a troubling question: if he cannot endure the contest within a party, how will he withstand the storms of governance? Leadership demands spine, not escape routes. It demands conviction, not convenience," he said.
Balogun added: "Should he once again abandon the coalition, let no one be deceived: it will not be because the system failed him—it will be because the system demanded that he earn his place. And in refusing that test, he will not only weaken the opposition; he will strengthen the very forces he claims to oppose."
2023 Election Fallout Revisited
Balogun also revisited Obi's role in the 2023 general election, arguing that his political decisions contributed to a divided opposition. "When the final chapter of Bola Ahmed Tinubu's presidency is written, history will not be kind to Peter Obi. It will record—plainly and without sentiment—that his political choices helped fracture a winnable opposition and paved the way for the very outcome his supporters now lament," he said.
"In 2023, the Peoples Democratic Party stood on the cusp of reclaiming power, buoyed by its 2019 momentum. Yet, on the eve of its defining moment, Obi walked away—abandoning the field rather than contesting it—and transformed what could have been a straight fight into a fractured three-way contest that ultimately handed victory to the All Progressives Congress."
ADC Coalition Politics Under Strain
Balogun said efforts by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to rebuild the opposition through a coalition anchored on the ADC were undermined by internal disagreements. "Following that defeat, Atiku Abubakar moved to rebuild the opposition through a broad coalition anchored on the African Democratic Congress—a platform designed to unify heavyweights and mount a credible 2027 challenge. It was a strategic masterstroke—until internal sabotage began to fester," he said.
He accused Obi's camp of resisting internal democratic processes within the coalition. "Rather than strengthening the coalition, Obi and his camp ignited a rebellion from within. First, they rejected consensus. Then they attacked the process. When direct primaries—arguably the most democratic mechanism—were proposed, they recoiled again."
Obi's ADC Exit: Leadership Must Be Tested
Balogun further argued that leadership should be tested through internal party competition, not avoided. "This is not the conduct of a statesman; it is the reflex of a political opportunist unwilling to submit to scrutiny. Leadership is not conferred by online adulation or emotional fervour—it is earned in the arena, through contest, resilience, and the capacity to withstand pressure."
He concluded: "Democracy is not a sanctuary for the faint-hearted. It is a battleground of ideas, strength, and legitimacy. A man who aspires to be Commander-in-Chief must first prove he can command within his own political camp. To seek the highest office without passing through the crucible of internal democracy is not strategy—it is surrender."
Will Peter Obi Win the 2027 Election After ADC Exit?
Ahead of the 2027 elections, Primate Elijah Ayodele, leader of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church in Lagos, has warned that Obi, with his exit from the ADC, may fail and be unable to realize his political ambition. In a statement issued on Sunday, May 3, signed by his media aide Osho Oluwatosin, Primate Ayodele said those who advised the former Anambra governor to leave the coalition could ultimately end his political career, warning that it would mirror the outcome of the 2023 presidential election. "I have warned the opposition that Tinubu is ready for them. They will use spiritual means to scatter them so they won't be united. They will send all sorts of 'juju' after them. If Obi leaves ADC, he will fail," he said.
