…As Abure-led LP faction accuses Obi of betrayal, issues 48hrs order to quit coalition

…A paperweight coalition — Obasa ridicules ADC opposition alliance

Former Minister of Transportation and ex‑Governor of Rivers State, Rt Honourable Rotimi Amaechi, has announced his intention to run for president in 2027 under the banner of the newly formed opposition coalition, the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Amaechi said he possesses the “capacity to rule Nigeria” and steer the country towards prosperity.

In a Thursday evening interview on Channels Television, Amaechi asserted that his blend of leadership skills, political resolve, and clear-sighted vision positions him to tackle Nigeria’s pressing issues, hunger, inflation, and insecurity, more effectively than President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

He told viewers: “I have the capacity to rule Nigeria. If I were president today, the level of hunger, inflation, and insecurity would not be what we are experiencing. Nigerians deserve more than what they are getting now, and I am ready to offer that change.”

The former APC heavyweight revealed he formally resigned from the ruling party this week following “a long period of disengagement from its activities.”

Amaechi added that all ADC aspirants have committed to first strengthening the party nationally before prioritising individual ambitions.

Addressing questions about the informal North‑South rotation agreement, he said, “I’m open to a one‑term presidency if that will stabilise this country and restore balance. This is about saving Nigeria, not about me.”

The ADC coalition, launched on Wednesday at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, features high-profile figures including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, former Kaduna Governor Nasir El‑Rufai, and ex‑Senate President David Mark. 

Mark was named interim National Chairman, while former Osun Governor Rauf Aregbesola was appointed interim Secretary.

However, Lagos State House Speaker Rt Honourable Mudashiru Obasa dismissed the ADC movement as a “paperweight coalition.” 

Speaking in Lagos, he described it as a gathering of “recycled power‑hungry politicians” lacking structure and genuine challenge to the APC.

Despite this criticism, Amaechi expressed confidence in the ADC’s potential to defeat the APC. “We are determined to rescue this country from poor governance. Nigerians are tired of excuses. The ADC is now the people’s platform,” he declared.

…Abure-led LP faction accuses Obi of betrayal, issues 48hrs order to quit coalition

A faction of the Labour Party led by Abure has accused its 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, of betraying the party’s ideology after joining the ADC coalition. The group has given Obi 48 hours to resign his party membership or face disciplinary action.

In a statement from Abuja on Thursday, LP National Publicity Secretary Obiora Ifoh criticised Obi’s alliance with ADC members as an insult to Labour Party principles.

“We are aware of late‑night meetings between Peter Obi and some of our members, urging them to join his new political alignment,” Ifoh said. 

“Labour Party remains outside this coalition. Any member involved must resign within 48 hours.”

Deputy National Chairman Ayo Olorunfemi, speaking to ARISE News, expressed deep concern over Obi’s shift, saying, “We regret building Labour Party around Obi. He claimed to represent a new politics, yet he has joined forces with the same people who have failed this country.”

Olorunfemi went on to underline the party’s renewed focus on ideology over personality, stating that the former Obidient Movement youth wing has been restructured into a Directorate of Mobilisation and Integration to promote a broader vision.

While the ADC coalition includes prominent opposition figures such as Atiku Abubakar, Nasir El‑Rufai, and Peter Obi, analysts regard it as a formidable third‑force in the run-up to the 2027 elections.

Nevertheless, Ifoh dismissed the alliance as a clique of “recycled, desperate, and disappointed politicians.” He noted Nigeria’s youthful majority is weary of the same old order and that “the Nigeria of our dreams can only be realised through Labour Party.”

He concluded with a stern warning: “If Peter Obi does not formally leave the party in writing, we will do it for him.”