2027: Peter Obi Is the Only Life in ADC, Others Are Not Existing – Fayose Came Late as Peter Obi Has Proved Smarter
By Obunike Ohaegbu
National Coordinator, South East Patriots
Writes from his village in Anambra State.
-10/01/2026
Former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has once again stirred political debate with his sweeping declaration on national television that Peter Obi is “the only life” in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), while all other figures in the party are “semi-existent” and represent “old forces.” According to Fayose, Obi would be the only relevant figure anywhere he goes—be it ADC, Labour Party, or Accord Party.
At face value, such a statement appears complimentary. In reality, it is neither praise nor endorsement. It is a calculated political message, and it deserves careful unpacking.
A few days ago, a friend of mine—an ardent supporter of Peter Obi—called, as he often does, to express concern over a statement credited to Patrick Okedinachi Utomi, the Delta State–born professor and former presidential candidate of the ADC in 2007. My friend felt that Utomi’s public comments on Obi’s presidential ambition could be construed as dismissive of other ADC aspirants and potentially offensive to experienced politicians within the party.
That concern is not entirely misplaced. In my personal assessment, Pat Utomi functions more effectively as a norm-setter and agenda-shaper than as a mass electoral politician. His enduring value to Nigeria’s political ecosystem lies in ideas, critique, and moral framing—not in vote aggregation or control of party machinery. I am not aware that he has ever claimed the capacity to deliver even a polling booth in Delta State. Nevertheless, given his real or perceived closeness to Peter Obi, greater caution in public commentary would have been advisable, so that condescending interpretations are not attributed—wrongly or rightly—to Obi himself.
That said, my major concern is not Pat Utomi’s comments. It is the statement made by Fayose during his interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today. Unfortunately, many Nigerians glossed over the most revealing parts of that interview, which deserve emphasis:
First, Fayose openly admitted that he personally facilitated Nyesom Wike’s first call to Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the build-up to the 2023 elections, using the phone of Babajide Sanwo-Olu. That call culminated in the now-famous Port Harcourt meeting and the strategic decision to support the APC presidential candidate against the PDP candidate.
Second, Fayose revealed his deep disdain for Atiku Abubakar and Aminu Tambuwal—figures now associated with the opposition and the broader ADC coalition.
Third, he made it clear that ethnicity plays a significant role in the political calculations of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, whom he insisted should not be blamed for the internal collapse of the PDP.
Fourth, Fayose was emphatic—without apology—that his support remains firmly with President Tinubu, whom he considers the best option for Nigeria at this point.
With these revelations in mind, Fayose’s comments about Peter Obi must be understood for what they truly are. He was not praising Obi. He was reminding him of isolation—nudging him toward Labour or Accord, and subtly suggesting that his presence alone renders any platform relevant while others are expendable.
Crucially, Fayose avoided explaining why he believes that major anger against Tinubu’s re-election—largely rooted in the North—can be dismissed as “politically dead,” while governors and stakeholders in the South-East, including Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo, openly signal alignment with the so-called progressive bloc backing Tinubu. That silence is telling.
The message to Fayose and his co-travellers in mischief is simple: they came late.
They campaigned relentlessly for Peter Obi to remain boxed within the Labour Party. Today, Obi has moved into a broader coalition aimed squarely at removing the APC from power in 2027. Now, unable to stop that momentum, they seek to manufacture frictions within the ADC. Again, they have come late.
Peter Obi, as a former governor and committed democrat, is focused on coalition-building, not ego massage or political gaslighting. No amount of rhetorical flattery will derail that objective.
If Fayose truly believes in President Tinubu, then he and his allies should begin to tell Nigerians why Tinubu deserves a second term. On his Channels TV appearance, Fayose missed the opportunity to list concrete achievements that justify re-election. President Tinubu himself once declared that Nigerians should not support him if he failed to deliver stable electricity within a defined timeframe. On that score, the verdict is self-evident.
Rather than attempting to distract the opposition, President Tinubu should be allowed—if he so chooses—to return to Bourdillon, Lagos, and enjoy a well-earned retirement, should Nigerians decide otherwise.
Fayose and his co-travellers may assume Nigerians are foolish. But even in our real or perceived foolishness, we understand one enduring truth: only the joint efforts of Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, alongside other coalition partners, present a credible chance of defeating the APC federal government in 2027.
History will not be rewritten by soundbites. It will be shaped by coalitions, clarity of purpose, and the collective will of the Nigerian people
