Ayodele Fayose, former Ekiti State Governor, has warned that African Democratic Congress (ADC) could become politically irrelevant if it does not present Peter Obi as its presidential candidate in the 2027 general election.
Gatekeepers News reports that speaking during an interview scheduled to air on Arise Television, Fayose described Obi as the main political strength within ADC, saying no other figure in the party currently has the capacity to attract nationwide attention or votes. He argued that Obi’s influence goes beyond party structures and is rooted in popular appeal.
Fayose said Obi’s impact was clearly seen in the 2023 general election when his candidacy on the Labour Party platform, then considered a minor party, produced surprising victories, including seats in the House of Representatives across different regions. According to him, that experience showed Obi’s ability to lift lesser-known parties into national relevance.
The former Governor said Obi would command similar support regardless of the party platform he chooses, stressing that ADC’s political future depends largely on whether it fields him in 2027. He added that his comments were not a prediction of who would win the presidential election but a warning about the party’s survival and relevance.
Fayose said, “Peter Obi is the life in ADC. I didn’t say there are no other human beings in ADC; I’m saying others are largely spent forces.”
“Let’s say Obi didn’t go to ADC, let Obi go to another party… Obi is the only traction, Obi is the only meaning, Obi is the only factor, Obi is the only person in ADC that matters.”
He further recalled how Obi transformed the Labour Party from obscurity into a major force during the last election, noting that a similar outcome could follow anywhere Obi contests.
Fayose warned that if ADC fails to field Obi in 2027, the party’s fortunes could decline further rather than improve.
