“Zone Presidency to the South and Let’s Finish This Matter” — Peter Obi Tells ADC Coalition

Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has called on the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the southern region of Nigeria. Speaking through the National Coordinator of the Obidients Movement, Dr. Tanko Yunusa, Obi made the appeal during the 2nd Annual Colloquium in honour of Associate Professor Abdulmumin Yinka Ajia, held in Ilorin, Kwara State.

Obi emphasized that zoning the ticket to the South would promote equity, national unity, and cohesion. “Why should we have a northerner again when we can easily allow the South to complete their tenure? Afterwards, our northern brothers can take up their eight years,” he said. He urged the ADC coalition to seize this opportunity and avoid repeating past political mistakes, citing the unresolved crisis surrounding the late Moshood Abiola’s mandate as an example.

Obi reaffirmed his intention to run for president in 2027, regardless of the platform, adding that the coalition’s support would be welcomed but not a determining factor. “Obi has already stated that he will contest in 2027 whether we get the coalition ticket or not,” Yunusa said. “When we get to that level, the platform will be revealed.”

Host of the event, Associate Professor Ajia, a former APC governorship aspirant in Kwara, described the ADC coalition as a credible and independent platform capable of delivering political transformation. He said the coalition represents more than party politics—it is a tool for democratic restoration and citizen empowerment. “It is only a strong opposition, free from direct and indirect influence of the ruling party, that can rescue Nigeria from what can best be described as the irony of a collapsing rich nation,” he said.

Also speaking at the event, Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo, leader of the Kwara Redemption Movement and former “O to ge” frontliner, called for a total reset of Nigeria’s political system. He criticized the country’s 26-year democratic journey as lacking substance, saying that while the form may be democratic, the reality is far from it. “The original structure designed by Nigeria’s founding fathers has collapsed completely,” he said, arguing that past election cycles have served elite interests at the expense of the people.

On the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State, Oyedepo pointed to a struggle between a political godfather and godson, not a genuine mentor-mentee relationship. He warned that without a shift towards accountability and inclusiveness, Nigeria risks remaining in a cycle of authoritarian governance dressed as democracy.