Obi Speaks On ADC Coalition, Says Zoning Of Offices Issue Stalling Progress

Former Anambra State governor and 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has said that ongoing efforts to form a broad coalition with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 elections were being slowed down by unresolved questions around zoning and the rotation of key political offices.

Obi spoke on Wednesday during an interview on the YouTube programme ‘Advocacy for Good Governance’, where he stressed that the coalition must first “tidy up” its fundamental agreements before moving forward.

“Today, I’m a member of the Labour Party, and I subscribe to the ADC coalition for the 2027 election and I believe in it,” he said. “But as much as I believe in it, I need to know the fundamentals that we all agree to respect.”

He explained that critical issues such as power rotation and the origins of key office holders remained loosely defined.

“We have what we can call unsigned agreements about the presidency, unsigned agreements about rotation of offices,” Obi noted. “These things must be organised. If you don’t do it, you create confusion for the future.”

Despite the outstanding issues, Obi expressed confidence in the leaders spearheading the process. He described former Senate President David Mark, who chairs the coalition, as a respected figure, and referred to ex–Vice President Atiku Abubakar as “my leader.”

“I respect all those who are leaders there… people like my own leader, Atiku — someone I have all my respect for, who I believe wants the best for Nigeria,” he said.

When asked whether he would remain committed to the coalition even if he is not selected as its presidential candidate, Obi reaffirmed that his priority was Nigeria’s progress, not personal ambition.

“I’m not desperate to be president of Nigeria; I’m desperate to see Nigeria work,” Peter Obi declared.