A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Ladan Salihu, has said the party is now a step closer to the Presidential Villa following the defection of former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Naijaonpoint reports that Salihu made the assertion on Friday, January 2, 2026, during an interview on Arise Television, while reacting to Obi’s recent move to the ADC.
Obi, alongside other prominent political leaders from the South-East, officially defected to the ADC on Wednesday at an event held in Enugu, a development that has continued to generate reactions across the political space.
Describing Obi’s defection as a watershed moment, Salihu said the former Anambra State governor’s entry into the party had significantly strengthened its chances ahead of future elections.
“The declaration of Peter Obi joining the ADC is a political blockbuster, which is one step to the Presidential Villa,” he said.
According to him, Obi’s decision marked a defining moment not just for the party, but for Nigeria’s evolving political landscape.
“It is a defining moment in our political history. We are now working to strengthen the party and position it as a major opposition force in Nigeria,” Salihu added.
The ADC chieftain also recalled the recent declaration of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar for the party, arguing that the combined electoral strength of both leaders places the ADC in a formidable position.
“Remember some weeks back former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar declared for the ADC. Now, we have Peter Obi, and the numbers don’t lie,” he stated.
Salihu noted that the cumulative votes garnered by Obi and Atiku in the 2023 presidential election underscored the growing influence of the party.
“The two put together in the last presidential elections in 2023 had about 63 per cent of the total presidential votes. So, if you take that calculus and put it on the table, you can literally say that the coming of Peter Obi into the ADC has put us in pole position, with one leg already in the Presidential Villa,” he said.