African Democratic Congress (ADC) has asked former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to take a definite stand on whether he wants to work with the party’s coalition ahead of the 2027 elections.
The party made its position clear on Thursday while reacting to Obi’s recent comments about the coalition’s internal structure.
The ADC stressed that it would not pressure the former Anambra governor into joining, despite his rising influence in opposition politics.
Obi had earlier expressed reservations about what he described as a “faltering” process within the coalition, noting concerns around zoning, power rotation, and the distribution of key roles.
He, however, said he still believed in the leadership coordinating the project, including former Senate President David Mark and ex–Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Speaking on the matter, ADC spokesperson Bolaji Abdullahi explained that the coalition had not reached the stage where zoning should even be discussed.
He maintained that the priority for now is to build a platform Nigerians can trust.
According to him, “We’re not talking about zoning or no zoning now. Nigerians are still waiting for us to tell them what we will do differently. So, zoning or no zoning is not on the table now. If that is the condition for Obi to join us, maybe he should wait till that time.”
Abdullahi urged Obi to make a clear political decision instead of leaving the coalition guessing.
He said, “I understand what Peter has been saying. But I will encourage him to make up his mind if he wants to be part of the coalition or not. The most important thing for us is how we can convince Nigerians that we represent the credible alternative, and this is without prejudice to where the candidate will come from.”
The ADC spokesperson also noted that while the party respects Obi’s contributions to national discourse, its wider development agenda takes precedence.
He added, “For us, we want Peter Obi to join us in building a political party that can reset Nigerian politics and provide a credible alternative. But if zoning is the condition on which he continues to assess the coalition, he should probably wait until we get to that point.”
Responding to Obi’s claim that the coalition appears unstable, Abdullahi disagreed and insisted the movement is stronger than many assume.
He pointed out the rapid expansion of the party’s structures despite the absence of elected officials within its ranks.
According to him, “It’s unfortunate that he used a word like unstable, because instability is not contingent on whether we are able to make certain decisions on zoning at this point. We are stable. Within five months, we have offices in 27 or 28 states without a single political officeholder. That’s a major achievement.”
He encouraged Obi to show more commitment to the coalition’s grassroots efforts, particularly in Anambra State where he enjoys strong support.
“We want him to be part of our journey. We want him to be part of building the party,” he added.
The article was originally published on Politics Nigeria.