A public affairs analyst, Jide Ojo, has suggested that Peter Obi may dump the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 elections if he fails to win the party’s presidential ticket.
Ojo, who spoke on Wednesday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, projected that Obi may lose the ADC presidential ticket to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, particularly if the party opts for indirect primaries.
Should Obi lose the ADC ticket to Atiku, Ojo predicted that the former Anambra State Governor may dump the party for another platform to actualize his presidential ambition.
“Rumour mill has it that Atiku has been a very good benevolent spender when it comes to party primaries.
“Assuming, without conceding that in a free and fair primaries in ADC Atiku emerges, I can see Peter Obi likely going to leave the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for another party,” he said.
Ojo suggested that Atiku is not only interested in the ADC ticket, but also wants to be in the frontline in terms of determining who will succeed or who will be the candidate of the ADC.
“Which is why there are fears in certain quarters that he may outspend Peter Obi, particularly if they are going to conduct indirect primaries,” Ojo said.
The analyst, however, believes that Obi commands respectable followership, and many political bigwigs followed him to the ADC.
“I watched the live transmission of his former defection from the Labour Party to ADC on December 31, 2025, and on that day, at least about four senators from the Southeast, about 16 House of Representatives members from the Southeast, and an indeterminable number of State House of Assembly members said they were defecting with him.
“When Atiku Abubakar defected weeks before, toward the end of November, I didn’t see any serving lawmaker or governor defecting with him,” he added.
Ojo affirmed that Obi’s declaration that he would be on the ballot for the 2027 presidential election is a confirmation that he is not ready to play second fiddle to anybody.
“If somebody says, ‘I will be on the ballot,’ it is only the prime candidate, the candidate of the party that will be given the certificate of return, even though it is the party logo that appears on the ballot.
“What Peter Obi means is that he is not going to play second fiddle,’ he said.