As the 2027 elections draw closer, one name continues to stir debates across Nigeria’s political space, Peter Obi.
The former governor of Anambra State and 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party is seen by many as a brand built on a clean image and prudent management.
For some Nigerians, Obi is the poster boy of what good governance represents. During his time as governor, he built his reputation on careful financial management and accountability.
He was often described as one of the few Nigerian governors who left office without debts hanging over the state. He was credited with leaving billions of naira in office.
While many praised him for leaving substantial financial reserves for Anambra, others argued that his government was too focused on saving money rather than spending it to transform the state directly.
Critics accused him of “saving for the future” while basic infrastructure and welfare still needed urgent attention.
In 2022, the incumbent governor of Anambra State, Charles Soludo, criticised Obi’s investments, arguing that “poverty more than doubled under Peter Obi” and questioned the logic of saving when the state had pressing needs, such as schools and hospitals.
A former aide to President Jonathan, Reno Omokri, claimed that Obi didn’t build new schools, emphasising, “Whereas he built a $50 million brewery, Obi did not construct a school, technical college, or vocational academy.”
Despite criticism from those opposed to Obi’s leadership style, the former governor remains one of the most sought-after political figures ahead of 2027, with major parties viewing him as a potential game-changer.
Is Obi PDP’s Missing Piece?
For the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), bringing Peter Obi back is more than just politics; it is a strategy.
The PDP is not hiding the fact that it wants Obi back. Party leaders believe he still has the strength to shake the political table ahead of 2027.
In recent weeks, party leaders have openly called on Obi to “come home.” Former Minister of Information Jerry Gana confirmed that discussions are ongoing to woo Obi back, stating that the PDP needs him to strengthen its chances in 2027.
He said, “He was our member… If I were the former Vice President, I would have said in 2023, ‘No, Peter, you were my vice-presidential candidate in 2019. Now, I’ll support you.’ It would have been a strong statement.”
The party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi, also described Obi as a “great political asset,” insisting that the PDP wants its “product” back.
Labour Party in Crisis
While PDP leaders are busy making calls for Obi to return, the Labour Party itself has been facing internal battles. Since the 2023 elections, the party has struggled with leadership tussles, court cases, and accusations of hijack.
In 2024, a Federal High Court in Abuja sacked Julius Abure as national chairman, a move that heightened the crisis within the party. Although Abure later got a reprieve at the Court of Appeal.
On August 15, 2025, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) filed a sworn counter-affidavit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, stating that Julius Abure’s tenure as National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP) expired in June 2024.
For many, this internal turmoil is part of the reason why the former Anambra governor may consider leaving the party.
The ADC Option
Apart from the Labour Party crisis and PDP calls, there is also the option of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Recently, the party’s leadership hinted that it would welcome Obi with open arms. They described him as a politician who represents integrity and accountability.
However, there are reports that former vice president, Atiku Abubakar and his allies have taken over the party and Obi and others vying for the presidential ticket are simply pawns.
However, the party has reiterated several times that it does not favour any particular aspirant, while also promising to conduct a free and fair primary.
With PDP begging for his return, Labour Party facing crisis, and ADC showing interest, Peter Obi now stands at a political crossroads.”
To better understand Obi’s place in the unfolding political drama, Naija News reached out to Mark Adebayo, the spokesperson of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP).
He warned Obi against accepting the PDP offer, insisting that the party lacks direction.
From a coalition perspective, how significant is Peter Obi to any united opposition plan for 2027?
“Well, as far as the opposition coalition is concerned, definitely Peter Obi remains the rallying point, when it comes to the coalition. In my opinion, he remains the most popular and acceptable opposition figure in Nigeria as of today. Whether anybody likes it or not, he remains a force to reckon with in the area of political opposition in Nigeria. So he is very relevant, because, well, among the youth demographics, and generally across Nigeria now. He remains a beacon of hope for the people. To that extent, his influence remains strong.
“His presence generates significant energy around opposition activism in the country.”
So, basically, you are saying that if Obi returns to the PDP, it gives them a higher chance of winning the election?
“Well, this is my opinion. I wouldn’t advise Peter Obi to return to the PDP. It is politically disingenuous for him to even consider that, if the PDP, for instance, enters into a coalition arrangement with the Labour Party. Yeah, perfect. Peter Obi would be the poster boy of that kind of opposition. But for him, to resign from the Labour Party. And then go and join the PDP in the current state of that party.
“PDP is an injured party. PDP has lost its stability. PDP has lost its strength. So, let me just say PDP is significantly weakened from within. To be able to pose any serious challenge to the ruling Party in 2027. If the PDP decides to make Obi its presidential candidate in a coalition with other political parties like Labour and co, that would be great. But not that Obi will now leave his current party and go into the PDP. In the state in which PDP is today, it is in that weakened, destabilised state.
“I think it’s politically disingenuous. I think it would be counterproductive, because you don’t plan a wedding reception inside a dilapidated building.
“As many political parties in the opposition as possible should come together to get Obi to fly their flag in the 2027 general election. It will be helpful to the opposition.”
What are your thoughts on PDP stakeholders asking Obi to return to the party, while also trying to woo President Goodluck Jonathan?
“If Goodluck Jonathan wants to destroy whatever political legacy he has left, let him go and throw his hat in the ring and say we want to contest under any political party in 2027.
“At the time that his leadership was needed within the PDP, it was absent. In the 2023 presidential elections, throughout their campaigns, Goodluck Jonathan was never seen anywhere supporting the presidential candidate of that party and even in the election before that.
“So, more or less, PDP is an unfortunate party. Why? How do I mean, President Obasanjo became president in 1999 on the platform of the PDP. What did he do after he left office? He tore up his PDP membership card.
“He abandoned the party that gave him a platform to become president. Unfortunately, President Yar’adua, you know, didn’t even survive his office. He died. So Goodluck Jonathan took over and lost the election in 2015. Now, from the day he left the part nobody has seen him doing anything significantly to hold the party together.
“He did not provide leadership for that party when he was most needed.
“I don’t see Jonathan coming out to contest against Tinubu at this time and make any considerable impact. I mean, for me, he should be content being a statesman, an international agent of democracy.
“The legacy, the remarkable legacy he left behind as a gentleman, as a president who is not a political desperado, that he left power because he did not want the bloodshed of anybody.
“Because no matter how you look at it, if Goodluck Jonathan wanted to be a president in 2015, he would not have conceded defeat to Muhammadu Buhari. If he had listened to the bad advice being given by the political cockroaches and hyenas around him.
“If he had been like desperate, he would have said, look, I am the president, you want to use veto power, but it would have led this country into terrible cataclysms, but that is the most incredible legacy of Jonathan that he left power.
“He decided to go when the ovation was loudest, and that is what has made him an ambassador of democracy, rule of law and justice. So he should not come and mess that up by throwing his hat in the ring by saying he wants to contest in 2027.
“For the PDP leadership inviting him to come over, I think it is an afterthought. They should have done so long ago to get him to participate in the rebuilding of the party.
“I don’t see any miracle. The only miracle is for it to go into coalition with other political parties like labour and other political parties that are still out there, and make Obi fly their flag that will give them a better chance than Goodluck Jonathan.”
Do you think the PDP is trying to pitch Obi against Jonathan
“This is my problem with the opposition of which I am a part because of this issue of strategic deficit.
“There’s a lot of deficit in terms of strategy, and you are dealing with Tinubu, who is a master player in this game.
“The opposition needs to up its game when it comes to strategy because now, they are sending out contradictory impressions to Nigerians.
“Are you looking for Jonathan, or are you looking for Peter Obi? If you are looking for Peter Obi, leave Jonathan out of it. If you are looking for Jonathan, leave Peter Obi. I’m sure Obi is wise enough to know if they want to go pitch him against Goodluck Jonathan because the best thing for PDP now is to have a consensus candidate.
“They are not doing the party any good by trying to pitch Peter Obi against Jonathan. They are going to humiliate Jonathan by doing that.
“I doubt if Peter Obi will want to take that offer.
“They are passing the wrong information to Nigerians.
“The leadership of the PDP is swimming in confusion, and that is why they don’t even know what to do. They don’t know how to reshape that party. They don’t know how to rescue and redeem that party to become the PDP of all.”
So, how seriously should Nigerians take the ADC coalition as a vehicle for winning the presidency?
“Maybe we should give them a chance to stabilise first before we begin to interrogate that aspect.
“Let’s see what happens after 6 months. That is when Nigerians will know whether they can be taken seriously or not.
“Because I don’t want to deceive myself, there are pretenders and contenders. So when they begin to make the right moves, when we see that they have strategically equipped themselves to do what is needful to unseat this government. The duty to unseat Tinubu in 2027 is a collective responsibility because this government has not done well.
“This government has suffered Nigerians. This government has impoverished Nigerians. This government has enslaved Nigerians.
“Is the ADC coalition ready for that? I cannot say, so for now, at least they have not reached the threshold of a coalition that I expect to want to defeat an incumbent president.
“Let’s give them like, 6 months. Then we’ll see how it goes.
“Let me answer this question by saying that the person or the candidate who will fly the flag of any coalition in this country will determine how effective they can perform against this government or how they can even get this government out of power in 2027.
“They need to be stronger than what they are doing now. They need to do better than they are doing now. They need to organise better than they are organising now. They need to mobilise.”
From your observation, can LP still be a credible platform for the 2027 election?
“Absolutely, of course, they have an internal crisis, but once the LP leadership issue is sorted out, it will remain a credible platform for the 2027 election, though their time is limited. But I believe the Labour Party is in a far better state than the PDP.”
Whether through PDP, ADC or LP, one thing is clear: Obi remains central to Nigeria’s opposition politics as 2027 approaches.
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