Peter Obi has thrown his weight behind a new political coalition established to prevent President Bola Tinubu from securing a re-election bid in 2027.

In a statement on Thursday, Mr Obi said the coalition adopted the African Democratic Congress to save Nigerians from the vice-grip of Mr Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress.

“No one group can change Nigeria alone. To dismantle the structures that keep our people in poverty and insecurity, we must build bridges, not walls, even when those bridges are uneasy,” Mr Obi said.

The former Anambra governor, who ran against Mr Tinubu on the Labour Party platform in 2023 and came third, said the coalition would ensure that Nigerians get a leader who puts their interests ahead of anything else.

“Yesterday, the coalition members formally adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 Nigeria General Elections with Distinguished Senator David Mark serving as the National Chairman and H.E. Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola serving as the National Secretary.

“Our commitment is to sacrifice and work together towards the 2027 General Elections, ensuring that Nigeria gets a competent, capable, and compassionate leadership that will prioritise the nation’s future by putting the welfare of Nigerians first,” said Mr Obi.

He added, “This decision was not made lightly. It comes from deep reflection on where we are as a country and what must be done to move forward.”

Meanwhile, APC apologists Festus Keyamo and Bayo Onanuga have described the coalition as a group of disgruntled elements driven by hate for Mr Tinubu.

Mr Keyamo claimed that former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Senate President David Mark are scheming to use and dump Peter Obi.