Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has warned that the African Democratic Congress may slide into political irrelevance if it fails to present former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, as its presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 general election.
Fayose made the assertion during an interview on Arise Television, where he described Obi as the only major political asset capable of giving the ADC national visibility.
According to him, other figures within the party lack the electoral weight to significantly influence voters across the country.
The former governor said Obi’s political relevance was evident during the 2023 general election when his emergence as the Labour Party’s presidential candidate transformed the party from relative obscurity into a force that secured seats in the House of Representatives.
He argued that Obi’s appeal was not tied to a single political platform, adding that the former Anambra governor would still command widespread support even if he contested on the platform of a lesser-known party.
Fayose, however, clarified that he was not predicting whether Obi would win or lose the 2027 presidential election.
He maintained that Obi remains central to the ADC’s relevance in the coming elections, warning that sidelining him would significantly weaken the party’s political standing on the national stage.
Fayose added that for the ADC to be taken seriously in 2027, it must recognise political realities and rally around Obi as its standard-bearer.
He said, “Peter Obi is the life in ADC. I didn’t say there are no other human beings in ADC. I’m saying others are largely spent forces.
“Let’s say Obi didn’t go to ADC, let Obi go to another party. Let’s say Obi is in Accord. Obi will become… I’m saying it: Obi is the only traction, Obi is the only meaning, Obi is the only factor, Obi is the only person in ADC that matters.
“And if Obi had not gone to ADC and has gone…when Obi went to Labour, Labour that was never known people won elections to the House of Reps.
“I’m not saying Obi will win this election. I’m not saying Obi will not win this election, but I’m telling you, even if they don’t fill Obi, if ADC fails to fill Obi, their case will be worse than their coming together.”