A former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has said his decision to switch political parties was driven by his desire to unite Nigerians.

Mr Obi stated this during the National Democratic Congress (NDC) convention held on Saturday at the Los Angeles Event Centre in Abuja.

“We want to unite Nigeria. We want Nigeria to love each other. That is why people think we are changing parties,” he said.

“Where we are now, let me assure you, we are not changing parties because we want it for transaction. We are changing it like Churchill says, some men change parties based on their principles. And some men change parties because of the opposite of it,” Mr Obi added.

According to him, his political movement aims to create an opportunity to build a better Nigeria.

“So they change their principle to stay in a party. We change because we want to have a place, and we have the opportunity to build a new Nigeria that is possible. And we assure you, look at our sign,” he said.

Mr Obi said the symbol represented the same spirit Nigeria’s forefathers used in the struggle for independence and would now serve as a sign for national rebuilding.

“That is a sign our forefathers used to fight for independence. This is a sign we use to rebuild Nigeria. This is a sign we use to rebuild Nigeria. A new Nigeria is possible,” he said.

Mr Obi was a member of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) from 2006 to 2014 before joining the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2014.

He left the PDP for the Labour Party in 2022 and contested the 2023 presidential election on the party’s platform.

In 2026, he joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC) before defecting to the NDC, citing an internal crisis within the ADC.