The reported defection of Peter Obi from the African Democratic Congress to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) shortly after joining the party has continued to generate reactions among political observers and party stakeholders.
According to a report by The Nation, sources close to both Obi and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar claimed that the development did not come as a surprise because tensions had allegedly existed long before the reported exit.
The report noted that Obi and Atiku had previously worked together during the 2019 presidential election under the Peoples Democratic Party, where Obi served as Atiku’s running mate. At the time, Atiku reportedly selected Obi ahead of several other prominent figures who were considered for the vice-presidential slot.
Among those allegedly considered were former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, former Central Bank governor and current Anambra State governor Charles Soludo, former Minister of Agriculture Akinwumi Adesina, and former AMCON Managing Director Chike Obi.
Although the Atiku-Obi ticket lost the 2019 presidential election, party insiders reportedly claimed that disagreements during the campaign period contributed to tensions between both politicians beyond the electoral defeat itself.
According to the sources, Atiku was allegedly dissatisfied with Obi’s approach to campaign financing and believed he was reluctant to commit financial resources to the joint campaign. The insiders claimed this perception influenced Atiku’s later political dealings with Obi.
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