Fayose has warned that the ADC risks irrelevance without Peter Obi as 2027 Presidential Flagbearer.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the Former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose has warned that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) could slide into political obscurity if it fails to present former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
Speaking in an exclusive interview on Arise Television, Fayose described Obi as the only figure within the ADC with the national appeal needed to make the party electorally competitive.
According to him, most of the other politicians in the party lack the popularity and momentum required to attract widespread voter support.
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“Peter Obi is the life of the ADC. I’m not saying there are no people there, but most of them are spent forces,” Fayose said.
He pointed to the 2023 general election as proof of Obi’s political influence, noting how his candidacy under the Labour Party, then a relatively minor platform, reshaped the party’s fortunes nationwide.
“When Obi went to Labour, which was practically unknown, people won House of Representatives seats because of him. His presence changed everything,” he stated.
Fayose argued that Obi’s appeal cuts across party lines, adding that even a little-known party could become nationally relevant simply by fielding him as its candidate.
“Even if Obi had gone to another party like Accord, he would still have been the major attraction. He is the traction, the meaning, the factor,” he said.
While clarifying that he was not predicting whether Obi would win or lose in 2027, Fayose insisted that ADC’s political relevance depends heavily on the former Anambra governor’s involvement.
“I’m not saying Obi will win or lose. But if ADC does not field Obi, its relevance will drop sharply, no matter how united the party claims to be,” he added.
Fayose concluded that excluding Obi from the ADC ticket would significantly weaken the party’s prospects as the 2027 election approaches, stressing that Obi remains central to any serious national ambition the party hopes to pursue.
