The African Democratic Congress (ADC) constitution has effectively ruled out former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, from contesting under its platform for the 2027 presidential election.
This is due to a constitutional provision that disqualifies individuals affiliated with other political parties from seeking the ADC’s top ticket.
Obi, who has openly identified with the ADC and declared his intention to contest the presidency in 2027, has yet to formally resign his membership from the Labour Party.
This dual affiliation directly contravenes Article 8 of the ADC’s constitution, which stipulates that a person “must not belong to any other political party,” and if previously affiliated, “must have resigned from such membership.”
This clause appears to pose a significant hurdle for Obi, who currently holds the leadership position within the Labour Party.
Conversely, the prospects for two other potential contenders, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, appear brighter under the ADC platform.
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Both have reportedly resigned their memberships from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) respectively, making them eligible under the ADC’s guidelines.
Their eligibility would, however, still require clearance by the party’s National Executive Committee.
According to the ADC’s third schedule, which outlines guidelines for the conduct of primaries, only registered, card-carrying members of the party who are not affiliated with any other political party are eligible to seek nomination for public office.
The party emphasized its commitment to deepening internal democracy by ensuring that primary elections are free, fair, and credible, truly reflecting the choice of its members.
The electoral committee “shall conduct primary elections that will produce credible candidates that reflect the choice of the people.
“Nomination of candidates for elections into public offices shall be done by members of the Party in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act,” the document states.
The ADC also clarified that it reserves the authority to adopt either direct or indirect primaries or a consensus method, as determined by the National Executive Committee.
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