Eshiorameh Sebastian
A critical lack of consensus on the fundamental principle of zoning is threatening the stability and viability of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition for the 2027 general elections, Labour Party leader Peter Obi has revealed.
The former presidential candidate issued the caution during an interview on the YouTube programme ‘Advocacy for Good Governance’ on Wednesday, asserting that the coalition must urgently resolve its internal agreements before campaign activities commence in earnest.
Obi, while expressing his personal commitment to the coalition’s goal, highlighted the absence of signed agreements on key structural issues as a major flaw. “Today, I’m a member of the Labour Party, and I subscribe to the ADC coalition for the 2027 election and I believe in it,” Obi stated.
“But as much as I believe in it, I need to know the fundamentals that we all agree to respect”, he added.
He pinpointed the unresolved zoning formula for the presidency and the rotation of other key offices as the primary source of instability.
He said: “Today, we have what we can say are unsigned agreements about the presidency, unsigned agreements about rotation of offices,” he explained.
“Which is why if you say this person will come from here and this person will come from there, all those things need to be organised. The reason why it needs to be organised is: if you don’t do it, you create confusion for the future”, Obi insisted.
Despite the pointed criticism of the coalition’s processes, Obi expressed confidence in the individuals leading the dialogue, specifically naming former Senate President David Mark and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
He declared: “I respect all those who are leaders there; of course, our chairman, David Mark, is one of those people I respect. I believe he has the political sagacity to lead the party. He also described Atiku as a leader he holds in high esteem, who “believes in the good of Nigeria, and wants the best for Nigeria.”
When pressed on whether he would remain within the coalition if he is not selected as its presidential flagbearer, Obi deflected from personal ambition, framing his motivation in broader terms. “I’m not desperate to be president of Nigeria,” he declared. “I’m desperate to see Nigeria work.”
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