A former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, says he left the Labour Party on whose platform he contested presidency in the 2023 general elections and lost, because he was being chased out of the party. 

The politician did not however state the individuals who chased him out of the opposition party.

He stated, “I don’t think there is leadership crisis within the party. It is being instigated in all the parties, not just this one. Whether it’s PDP, ADC, Labour Party where I left because they were chasing me, NNPP where Kwankwaso left, it is the same thing.”

Mr Obi, who spoke at the African Democratic Congress convention in Abuja on Tuesday, said the crisis rocking the opposition political parties in the country were allegedly instigated by President Bola Tinubu’s government. 

The politician added, “They don’t want opposition because they have run the country aground and wanted to ensure that everything collapses completely.”

The ADC chieftain further accused the Tinubu-led of destabilising the country, adding that the ADC was committed to ensuring Nigeria works for everybody regardless of class. 

“We can’t allow anarchy to consume everybody. We want to bring back the country, united and ensure the country functions for everybody. All we want in ADC is to have a country where a son of nobody can become somebody without knowing anybody. We want to create a level playing field,” Mr Obi stated.

Mr Obi joined the Peoples Democratic Party from the All Progressives Grand Alliance in 2014. He served as a running mate to former vice president Atiku Abubakar during the 2019 presidential election. 

The former Anambra State governor left the PDP for the Labour Party in 2022 and contested presidency for the first time in the 2023 general elections where he came third. However, the politician defected to the African Democratic Congress in December 2025.

Asked whether he would re-contest presidency in 2027, Mr Obi said, “Definitely, I am running as a presidential candidate under this party and have always said that I will change this country.”

Meanwhile, presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, described Mr Obi as an inconsistent and opportunistic politician ever to operate in the country.

“Peter Obi, the peripatetic, opportunistic and inconsistent politician ever to operate in Nigeria hints that he may leave the ADC, the way he left APGA, PDP and Labour,” Mr Onanuga stated.