Former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, and former Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, have formally joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, marking a major shift in Nigeria’s opposition landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Both leaders were presented with their membership cards on Sunday in Abuja amid cheers from supporters shortly after a closed-door meeting with the party’s leadership. They were officially received into the party by former Bayelsa State governor and NDC national leader, Seriake Dickson.
The development came hours after Obi announced his resignation from the African Democratic Congress, citing worsening internal crises, endless litigation, factional battles, and what he described as external interference threatening the party’s stability.
In a statement shared on his official X handle on Sunday, Obi said his decision to leave the ADC was not borne out of personal grievances against the party’s leadership, including former Senate President David Mark or former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, both of whom he said he continued to respect.
According to him, the same forces that created crises within the Labour Party and forced his exit were beginning to infiltrate the ADC, resulting in court cases, internal suspicion, division, and distractions from national issues.
Obi, who left the Labour Party in December 2025 to join the ADC alongside other opposition figures including Atiku, Kwankwaso, Rotimi Amaechi, Rauf Aregbesola, and Nasir El-Rufai, said his latest move was guided by his principles and commitment to building a functional political platform.
Addressing party leaders, members, and supporters after his formal admission into the NDC, Obi urged the Federal Government not to transfer political crises into the new party and appealed for a free democratic space devoid of interference.
“Please, let there be no litigation. Party members, please, don’t go to court. What we want is a party. Women and children will be proud of this party.
“This party will form a government that will rescue Nigeria, ensure Nigerians can live without fear, and ensure that mothers will no longer cry because their children left for school and never returned.
“We will ensure that Nigerians will no longer go to bed in their millions not knowing where their next meal will come from. We don’t want to spend our time in litigation and fighting ourselves. We want to spend our time dealing with issues that affect the ordinary Nigerian,” Obi said, while calling on Nigerians and his supporters to join the party.
Kwankwaso, on his part, called on Nigerians to register with the NDC immediately, declaring that his political camp had already commenced registration.
Welcoming both leaders, Dickson described their arrival as a major boost for the party, expressing confidence that “Nigeria will be new again.”
He said the NDC, despite being only five months old, had defied doubts and rapidly emerged as one of the country’s fastest-growing political platforms.
“I welcome you to Nigeria’s fastest-growing political party. I welcome you all to Nigeria’s most stable political party. I welcome you all to a party that has no faction, no litigation whatsoever,” Dickson said.
He also described Obi and Kwankwaso as highly qualified leaders, adding that the party would unveil all necessary formalities at the appropriate time.
The defections are the latest in a wave of political realignments among opposition figures as preparations for the 2027 general elections gather momentum.
