2027 Election: ADC Constitution Bars Obi, Clears Path for Atiku, Amaechi as Possible Candidates
By: Israel Adeleke
OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has officially ruled out former Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, from contesting under its platform in the 2027 general elections due to constitutional constraints, while signaling readiness to work with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Minister Rotimi Amaechi.
OTN News further reports that Obi, who has been seen as a key ally of the ADC and is widely believed to be preparing for another presidential bid, is currently still a registered member of the Labour Party.
OTN News observes that this affiliation violates Article 8 and the Third Schedule of the ADC Constitution, which stipulate that an aspirant must not belong to any other political party, and where there has been prior affiliation, a formal resignation must be submitted before eligibility can be considered.
The constitutional clause states unequivocally that any aspirant "must not belong to any other political party," and if previously affiliated, must provide evidence of resignation. As of now, Obi has not publicly renounced his membership in the Labour Party.
OTN News observes that Obi's spokesperson, Tanko Yunusa, who, confirmed the current status in a recent comment, said, “Well, that will be made public if he decides to do that. At the moment, he is still a member of the Labour Party."
Meanwhile, Atiku Abubakar and Rotimi Amaechi appear to be fully aligning themselves with the ADC’s constitutional demands in anticipation of the 2027 race.
Atiku, who ran in the 2023 elections under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), formally severed ties with the party in a letter dated 14 July 2025 and addressed to his Ward Chairman in Jada, Adamawa State.
In the letter, he cited irreconcilable differences with the PDP leadership and decried what he described as a “gradual erosion of internal democracy and the abandonment of foundational principles.”
Similarly, Rotimi Amaechi, a founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governor of Rivers State, announced his resignation from the APC on 1 July 2025.
Speaking at an ADC-organised event in Abuja the following day, Amaechi made his exit public and delivered a stinging rebuke of the current political climate.
“Nigeria is completely destroyed,” he declared, accusing both the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of colluding to undermine the integrity of elections.
The ADC, in outlining its nomination process, emphasized that it would conduct primaries in line with the Electoral Act to ensure that “credible candidates that reflect the choice of the people” emerge.
The party, however, said that, it retains the right to adopt direct primaries, indirect primaries, or the consensus method, based on the decision of its National Executive Committee.
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