APC Deputy National Chairman (South) Ben Nwoye has revealed that the ruling party is developing a strategic response to counter the 2027 presidential ambitions of Peter Obi, following his recent move to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The Deputy National Chairman (South) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ben Nwoye, has officially outlined the ruling party’s strategy to mitigate the political influence of Peter Obi ahead of the 2027 general elections. Acknowledging Obi’s formidable performance in the 2023 cycle—where he secured victories in nine of the seventeen southern states—Nwoye stated that the APC is proactively positioning itself to counter his impact across the region. The strategist noted that the party is particularly focused on areas where the “Obidient” movement showed unprecedented strength, identifying the South-East as the primary theater of political competition. “If you come to the South-East and you see what happened in the last election, it was the ground zero for the Obidient movement. They practically took everywhere, including my state,” Nwoye remarked during a recent political briefing.
The APC’s concerns extend beyond the traditional eastern stronghold, with Nwoye citing Obi’s 2023 successes in key economic and regional hubs such as Lagos, Delta, and Edo as evidence of a broad-based challenge. Following Obi’s recent alignment with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), where he is currently seeking a presidential ticket, the ruling party has indicated it will no longer treat the former Anambra governor as a fringe contender. Nwoye emphasized that the APC’s leadership is closely monitoring Obi’s dual-track approach of maintaining his grassroots “Obidient” base while leveraging a new institutional platform. “When you have such a figure moving around, you should be prepared. He has one leg in the Obidient movement and another in the ADC, and he has said he will run. Every vote is going to count,” Nwoye stated.
As the political landscape shifts toward the 2027 contest, the APC’s strategy appears to involve a mixture of local government-level mobilization and a direct challenge to the opposition’s narrative in the South. Nwoye insisted that the ruling party would not repeat the mistake of underestimating Obi’s political endurance or his ability to consolidate votes across ethnic and regional lines. By acknowledging the South-East as “ground zero,” the APC indicates a shift toward a more aggressive campaign to win back territory lost during the previous election. Analysts suggest that this early admission of Obi’s strength reflects a new level of caution within the APC as it prepares for what is expected to be a highly competitive multi-party race.
Peter Obi’s 2023 Performance vs. 2027 Outlook
| Metric | 2023 Results (Labour Party) | 2027 Outlook (ADC Alliance) |
| Southern States Won | 9 out of 17 States | Target: Majority of Southern & North-Central |
| Key Urban Victories | Lagos, Abuja (FCT) | Expansion into core Northern bases |
| Movement Identity | Obidient (Grassroots) | Obidient + ADC Coalition |
| APC Stance | Initially Dismissive | Strategic Counter-Positioning |
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