A former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has announced his exit from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), citing what he described as a toxic political environment and persistent internal crises.
Obi disclosed this in a post shared on X on Sunday, hours after the party released its timetable for the 2026 primaries and approved fees for nomination forms.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said the sale of nomination forms would hold from May 5 to May 10, while submission is scheduled for May 11 to May 13.
The party added that screening of aspirants would take place from May 14 to May 15, with results to be published on May 17, while appeals would be heard between May 18 and May 19. The final list of cleared aspirants is expected on May 20.
According to the timetable, primary elections for State Houses of Assembly, House of Representatives and Senate seats will hold on May 21, followed by governorship primaries on May 22 and the presidential primary on May 25.
The ADC also approved nomination fees of ₦100 million for presidential aspirants, ₦50 million for governorship, ₦20 million for Senate, ₦10 million for House of Representatives, and ₦3 million for State House of Assembly seats, with discounts for youths, women and persons with disabilities.
However, Obi said his decision to leave the party was not due to personal grievances against its leadership.
“Let me state clearly: my decision to leave the ADC is not because our highly respected chairman, Senator David Mark, treated me badly, nor because my leader and elder brother, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, or any other respected leaders did anything personally wrong to me. I will continue to respect them.”
The former Anambra State governor alleged that the same forces that destabilised the Labour Party were affecting the ADC.
“The same Nigerian state and its agents that created unnecessary crises and hostility within the Labour Party that forced me to leave now appear to be finding their way into the ADC, with endless court cases, internal battles, suspicion, and division, instead of focusing on deeper national problems and playing politics built more on control and exclusion than on service and nation-building.”
He added that the political space had become increasingly hostile.
“We now live in an environment that has become increasingly toxic, where the very system that should protect and create opportunities for decent living often works against the people – a society where intimidation, insecurity, endless scrutiny, and discouragement have become normal.”
Obi also said his political decisions were not driven by the pursuit of power but by concern for Nigerians’ welfare.
“Let me assure all that I am not desperate to be president, vice president, or Senate president. I am desperate to see a society that can console a mother whose child has been kidnapped or killed while going to school or work. I am desperate to see a Nigeria where people will not live in IDP camps but in their homes. I am desperate for a country where Nigerian citizens do not go to bed hungry, not knowing where their next meal will come from.”
The ICIR reports Obi and other stalwarts of the ADC had intended to get the party’s presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 election. The major contenders are former vice president Atiku Abubakar and former governors Rotimi Amaechi and Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Kwankwaso is most likely to quit the ADC soon, as he is widely believed to be considering a joint ticket with Obi in the coming election.
Their exits from the party leave Abubakar, Amaechi, and others who may be interested in the ADC’s ticket to vie for it.
Nurudeen Akewushola is an investigative reporter and fact-checker with The ICIR. He believes courageous in-depth investigative reporting is the key to social justice, accountability and good governance in society. You can reach him via nyahaya@icirnigeria.org and @NurudeenAkewus1 on Twitter.