Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has lost a massive chunk of his support. Eighty percent of his loyal Obidients have refused to follow him and have remained in the African Democratic Congress after he moved to the National Democratic Congress on May 3, 2026.
Obi quit the ADC because of a toxic political atmosphere. He pointed to endless court cases, bitter internal fights, deep suspicion among members, serious divisions, external interference, and growing hostility inside the party. He made it clear the move had nothing to do with personal clashes with ADC leaders like Chairman Senator David Mark or Atiku Abubakar. The same instability that forced him out of the Labour Party had now taken root in the ADC. Obi said he needed a cleaner platform to fight rising poverty, worsening insecurity, and the economic hardship hurting everyday Nigerians.
Obi had joined the ADC only a few months earlier in late 2025 as part of a major opposition coalition. On May 3, he moved together with former Kano Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso to the NDC. The NDC has zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to the South, positioning Obi as the likely flag bearer and creating a strong Obi-Kwankwaso alliance aimed at challenging President Bola Tinubu and the ruling APC. But this is hard to achieve because Kwankwaso only wins strongly in Kano and does not have widespread support across the North.
Despite this fresh start and high-level backing, most Obidients stayed behind in the ADC. NN News Media which has monitored the situation closely since his defection reports that many who registered in the ADC have remained firmly in the party. The monitoring from both the South and the North clearly shows he has lost massive support. El-Rufai supporters and many others have also chosen to stay in the ADC, seeing it as a more stable and reliable platform amid all the party hopping. Prominent figures like former Imo Governor Emeka Ihedioha have publicly declared they will not leave the ADC.
Many political analysts now describe Obi’s repeated party changes as a serious political blunder. Switching parties so often makes a leader look unstable and desperate. It breaks the trust of core supporters who feel abandoned every time he moves. It damages personal brand and loyalty because people start to see the politician as someone without strong principles or deep roots in any platform. In the end, it weakens grassroots strength and makes it harder to build a solid movement for victory.
This big split shows how fragile the Obidient movement has become after Obi’s repeated party changes from Labour Party to ADC and now to NDC. While some supporters back his latest switch and see the NDC as his best shot at victory, a huge number have stuck with the ADC. The NDC is gaining new members and lawmakers fast, but the loss of core grassroots support raises serious questions about Obi’s real strength heading into 2027.
Political watchers are now asking tough questions. Can Obi rebuild his base in the NDC in time, or is the once mighty Obidient movement breaking apart for good? This high-profile defection has added more drama to the fierce battle as opposition parties scramble to unseat the ruling party. Nigerians are watching closely to see which side will deliver the real change the country desperately needs.
