A senior figure in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has claimed that Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential flag-bearer, has done more harm than good to the South East’s long-held ambition of producing a Nigerian president.
Hon. Kasimu Maigari, who serves within the ADC’s National Legislators’ Forum, made the remarks during an appearance on ARISE News, where he weighed in on the shifting political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In his assessment, Obi’s political trajectory has not brought the Igbo presidency dream any closer — if anything, he argued, it has pushed it further away. Maigari suggested the setback could span a generation, contending that Obi’s rise and the movement around him has cost the South East roughly two decades of progress toward that goal.
He was equally dismissive of the staying power of Obi’s support base, drawing a parallel with former Kano Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso’s following. In his view, most of those rallying behind both men are motivated not by shared ideology or national vision, but by personal electoral calculations — hoping to ride their coattails into state assembly seats, House of Representatives slots, or governorship positions before eventually switching allegiances.
Turning to his own party, Maigari struck a confident tone, insisting the ADC is cohesive and well-positioned heading into 2027. He even suggested that Obi’s presence on the political scene could work indirectly in the ADC’s favor, potentially drawing votes away from President Tinubu in regions where the ruling party had counted on strong support.
