ENUGU,NIGERIA (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, has cautioned that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) risks losing political relevance ahead of the 2027 general election if it fails to present former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, as its presidential candidate.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television, Fayose described Obi as the only political figure within the ADC capable of projecting the party onto the national stage and attracting widespread electoral support.
He argued that other prominent figures within the party lack the popularity and political weight needed to significantly influence voting outcomes across the country.
“Peter Obi is the life of ADC,” Fayose said, stressing that while the party has other members, none currently possess the momentum or relevance Obi commands. He described other aspirants as largely exhausted political forces.
Fayose further explained that Obi’s influence cuts across party lines, pointing to the 2023 general election as evidence of his political value. According to him, Obi’s emergence under the Labour Party transformed the previously fringe platform into a competitive force nationwide.
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“When Obi moved to Labour, a party that was barely recognised, candidates won seats into the House of Representatives,” Fayose said, noting that Obi’s candidacy alone reshaped the party’s electoral fortunes.
The former governor maintained that Obi would draw massive support irrespective of the political platform he chooses, adding that even a little-known party could gain national attention simply by fielding him as its candidate.
“Even if Obi doesn’t go to ADC and decides to contest on another platform, the effect will be the same,” Fayose said. “Obi is the attraction, the substance, and the defining factor.”
However, Fayose clarified that his comments were not a forecast of victory or defeat in the 2027 presidential race, but rather an assessment of the ADC’s prospects and survival within Nigeria’s competitive political environment.
“I’m not saying Obi will win or lose,” he explained. “What I’m saying is that if ADC does not field Obi, the party’s situation will be worse than before.”
He stated that sidelining Obi would significantly weaken the ADC ahead of the 2027 polls, insisting that the former Anambra governor remains central to any serious electoral ambition the party hopes to pursue.