Peter Obi’s Defection Pushes Igbo Presidency Quest 20 Years Back — ADC Chieftain

Hon. Kasimu Maigari, a member of the African Democratic Congress National Legislators’ Forum, has said that former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has set back the long-standing ambition of producing a Nigerian president of Igbo extraction.

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Maigari made the claim during an interview, where he spoke on political realignments and developments ahead of the 2027 general elections.

According to him, Obi’s political influence has not advanced the South-East’s presidential aspiration, but has instead “pushed it backwards” by about two decades.

“My worry is not if Peter Obi will win the presidency; my worry is that Peter Obi has pushed Igbo’s 20 years backwards from getting the Presidency,” Maigari said.

He also argued that some supporters of Obi and former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, are motivated more by personal political ambition than ideology.

“Peter Obi will not win the 2027 election; it is very obvious,” he said. “The only people who follow Obi and Kwankwaso are those who think they will rise on their backs to get elected and then defect and leave them.”

Maigari further alleged that a large proportion of Obi’s supporters are primarily interested in securing elective positions such as state assembly seats, House of Representatives, or governorship tickets by leveraging his popularity.

“99 per cent of those running around Peter Obi have the ambition of running either state assembly, House of Rep or governor and the only easiest way for them to win an election is when Peter Obi or Rabiu Kwankwaso is on the ballot,” he added.

Speaking on the African Democratic Congress, Maigari maintained that the party remains united and strategically positioned for the 2027 elections, adding that Obi’s influence in some regions could indirectly benefit the party.

“ADC remains intact. Peter Obi is going to serve as our agent in the places Tinubu thought he was going to make it, and this is our advantage as ADC,” he said.

He concluded that the party is focused and fully prepared for future political contests.