Benjamin Kolowei, leader of the South-South Emerging Leaders’ Forum, has accused former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi of planning to abandon the opposition coalition formed under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement to posted on Thursday, Kolowei alleged that Obi and his supporters, popularly known as the “Obidient Movement,” have been applying pressure and issuing threats to influence the ADC coalition into handing him the 2027 presidential ticket.
“We note that Mr. Peter Obi and his Obedient Movement have, in recent times, resorted to threatening and blackmailing the leadership of the coalition. That strategy has failed,” Kolowei claimed.
The activist accused Obi of avoiding internal party contests, describing him as a serial defector who seeks automatic presidential nominations. “If Mr. Obi claims to be a democrat, why is he always avoiding primary elections? He did that as a governor and again in 2023 when he left the PDP before the primaries,” Kolowei said.
Kolowei cautioned coalition leaders not to allow the forum’s agenda to be hijacked by personal ambitions, urging Obi to submit to a transparent primary if he is truly interested in the 2027 race.
He further warned that calls by Obi for the South to retain the presidency could prompt counter-agitations from the North, which, according to him, has not held power as long as the South since 1999.
“We will not fold our hands and watch Mr. Obi frustrate ongoing arrangements to build a credible alternative to the APC,” he said. “He should stop the saintly posturing. Democracy is not about blackmail or entitlement. It’s about participation and process.”
Kolowei also alleged that Obi had already secured another political platform and could soon announce his defection.
“It is high time the ADC coalition leaders stopped sleeping with both eyes closed,” he concluded.
