By Polycarp Nwaeke
Peter Obi is facing relentless attacks from two fronts as Nigeria inches toward 2027: the Presidency and allies of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
The frequency of those attacks has increased since Obi formally dumped the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and moved to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) on Sunday, May 3, 2026.
Obi himself said the decision was driven by “deepening internal disputes, outside interference, and increasing tensions within the party structure”.
He also cited “severe, orchestrated litigation and internal crises deliberately designed to ensure that I, alongside many other notable individuals, do not effectively participate in the electoral process”.
The Presidency’s spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, was scathing in his response, calling Obi “a politician made of jelly, an opportunistic fellow” who “pursues the easy road, that will only lead him to doom, like in 2023”.
Onanuga accused Obi of avoiding competitive primaries and seeking a consensus that benefits him alone.
He described Obi as a “selfish politician” who “goes to where other people have toiled to cook the soup and takes the biggest meat in the pot”.
On the other side, Atiku’s allies have launched their own offensive. Dele Momodu, a chieftain of the ADC and publisher of Ovation Magazine, said Obi left the ADC because he “knew he lacked the capacity to take on Atiku”.
Momodu claimed Obi “ran away from testing that popularity” and was afraid of a contest against Atiku, the man who “brought him to national prominence in 2019”.
He further alleged that Obi is “afraid of his supporters” and feared being boxed into accepting a vice-presidential slot.
Kenneth Okonkwo, another former Atiku ally, has also joined in attacking Obi since the defection.
The attacks stem from how the ADC coalition unraveled. Atiku had moved to the ADC in late 2025 as part of a strategy to unite opposition forces.
Obi and Kwankwaso joined him in early 2026, but political intrigues soon forced both men out.
A key point of friction was the presidential ticket. Obi’s camp wanted a clear commitment that it would go to the South, but the ADC leadership avoided a firm position.
That ambiguity, combined with reports of a “pre planned primary election” designed to position Atiku as candidate, pushed Obi to walk away.
Obi’s mandate, his supporters insist, is not to be Vice President but to be President.
The defection was not a solitary move. A large number of Obidients, Obi’s followers, joined him to the NDC.
Seventeen House of Representatives members also dumped the ADC for the NDC, with one joining the APC.
The coordinated nature of the defections is seen as a show of loyalty to Obi and Kwankwaso.
Their exit has left the ADC weakened. The party is now described as being at a “breaking point”, with only six House members left out of 24.
ADC spokesman Bolaji Abdullahi admitted Obi’s departure was not unexpected, saying the NDC “can promise him the ticket”.
Abdullahi suggested Obi needed “a party that belongs to one man, that can say I guarantee you the ticket before he comes in”.
From the Presidency’s side, the bitterness is personal. Onanuga and other aides believe Obi’s massive following and popularity can defeat President Tinubu in a free and fair election.
That fear explains why Bayo Onanuga, Reno Omokri, Femi Fani-Kayode, Daniel Bwala and others on the President’s payroll have made Obi the subject of daily attacks.
Fani-Kayode recently declared that Obi “shall never become President of our nation” after a dispute over NADECO remarks.
He accused Obi of mocking the memory of those who died in the June 12 struggle and said Obi “assaulted the sensitivities” of NADECO veterans.
The physical attacks have been more alarming. On February 24, 2026, gunmen attacked Obi’s convoy in Benin City, Edo State, as he went to receive former NBA president Olumide Akpata into the ADC.
Vehicles in the convoy had shattered windshields and tyres, though Obi escaped unharmed.
The attackers also stormed the ADC secretariat and the residence of Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, destroying vehicles and injuring three people.
The ADC blamed the APC, saying the attackers were from the ruling party. The APC denied it, calling it an internal ADC factional fight.
Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo had earlier warned that he could not guarantee Obi’s safety if he visited the state without permission.
The ADC said the attack bore “the unmistakable marks of a dangerous and escalating pattern of political intimidation and terror against our party”.
IPAC condemned the incident as “one of the gravest manifestations of political intolerance in recent times” and a “direct assault on Nigeria’s democratic order”.
Momodu has also accused President Tinubu of forcing the Obi-Kwankwaso alliance by creating pressure on the opposition.
He said the unity among opposition figures is “not born out of genuine long-term commitment but is a reaction to pressure from the ruling government”.
Buba Galadima, an Atiku ally, has told Atiku to join the NDC or bear responsibility for opposition failure.
Galadima confirmed the NDC has already zoned its presidential ticket to the South.
With Obi now in the NDC alongside Kwankwaso, analysts say the arrangement will see Obi as presidential candidate and Kwankwaso as running mate.
The NDC quickly became a magnet for lawmakers seeking stability and clearer leadership direction.
Obi insists his move was not about ambition but about rescuing Nigeria from its “dangerous path”.
He said politics “must be about the people, especially the millions of Nigerians who today can no longer afford necessities”.
He thanked ADC Chairman Senator David Mark for “exceptional leadership” but said the party had become unsafe for genuine participation.
The Presidency, however, sees the move as opportunism. Onanuga said Obi is a “political nomad” who avoids fights he cannot win.
Atiku’s camp sees it as betrayal of a planned arrangement where Obi would serve as Atiku’s deputy.
For Obi’s camp, the choice is clear: stay in a compromised platform and risk being sidelined, or move to a platform where the ticket is secured.
With the NDC submitting its membership register to INEC before the May 10 deadline and zoning the ticket South, the stage is set for a three-way contest in 2027.
The attacks will likely intensify as the election nears. But Obi’s supporters argue that his record in Anambra and his appeal to youth, women, and labor give him a real chance.
If the NDC holds, and if Obi is confirmed as candidate, they believe he can defeat Tinubu “hands down” in a credible election. For now, the ADC is almost dead, its “oxygen” gone with Obi’s exit. The battle has shifted to the NDC, and the verbal and physical war around Obi shows how high the stakes have become.
