2027: Atiku, Peter Obi, ADC Give Opposition ‘One Leg in Aso Rock’ – Salihu

After former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi defected, African Democratic Congress (ADC) leader Ladan Salihu stated the party is now one step closer to the Presidential Villa.

According to reports, Salihu made the claim in response to Obi’s recent transfer to the ADC on Friday, January 2, 2026, during an interview on Arise Television.

At a gathering in Enugu on Wednesday, Obi and other well-known South-East political figures formally defected to the ADC. This development has continued to spark responses in the political sphere.

Salihu called Obi’s defection a turning point and claimed that the former governor of Anambra State’s joining the party had greatly improved the party’s prospects for next elections.

He declared, “Peter Obi’s announcement that he would join the ADC is a political blockbuster, which is one step to the Presidential Villa.”

He claimed that Obi’s choice was a turning point for both the party and Nigeria’s changing political environment.

It is a pivotal point in our political history. Salihu continued, “We are currently striving to fortify the party and establish it as a significant opposition force in Nigeria.

Recalling former vice president Atiku Abubakar’s recent declaration for the party, the ADC chieftain asserted that the ADC is in a strong position due to the combined electoral might of both leaders.

Recall that former vice president Atiku Abubakar announced his candidacy for the ADC a few weeks ago. The figures don’t lie now that we have Peter Obi,” he said.

Salihu pointed out that the total number of votes Obi and Atiku received in the 2023 presidential election demonstrated the party’s increasing power.

When combined, the two received almost 63% of the total votes cast in the most recent presidential election in 2023. We are now in the lead, with one leg already in the Presidential Villa, if you take that calculus and put it on the table,” he stated.