‘Peripatetic and Inconsistent’: Presidency Blasts Peter Obi Over Possible ADC Exit

ABUJA — The Presidency has launched a scathing verbal assault on Peter Obi, the former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, following his recent hints about a potential exit from the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

​Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, described Obi as the most “opportunistic and inconsistent” politician in the history of Nigerian democracy.

​The friction follows an appearance by Obi on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Monday, where he addressed his political future and his recent alignment with the ADC. During the interview, Obi made it clear that his loyalty lies with “principles” rather than any specific political platform.

​“I don’t have a long time in politics,” Obi stated during the broadcast. “If I have to move twenty times, I will do it. I cannot be talking about change or something new while using the processes of yesterday to build tomorrow.”

​Responding via his official X (formerly Twitter) handle, Onanuga characterized Obi as “peripatetic,” mocking his history of moving between the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and the Labour Party.

​”Peter Obi, the peripatetic, opportunistic and inconsistent politician ever to operate in Nigeria hints that he may leave the ADC, the way he left APGA, PDP and Labour. Listen to him,” Onanuga wrote.

​The former Anambra State governor defended his record of defections, attributing his departure from the Labour Party to “deliberate sabotage.” He claimed that internal actors had “put fire in the house” and expressed surprise at his ability to “escape” the crisis-ridden party.

​On his current status with the ADC, Obi acknowledged that while he is working with former colleagues from the PDP and other parties, his continued stay depends entirely on the integrity of the party’s internal processes.

ADVERTISEMENT

​“What is important is not what people were yesterday, it’s what they are today,” Obi said. “If that process is again compromised, I will speak out. Integrity in political processes is non-negotiable.”

​As the 2027 political cycle begins to take shape, Obi’s remarks suggest a fluid opposition landscape, while the Presidency’s sharp retort underscores the deepening animosity between the administration and the man who led the ‘Obidient’ movement in the 2023 polls.