Peter Obi has said APC cannot secure the South-East simply through governors’ defections.
He stressed that voters, not politicians, decide elections and urged dialogue over force in resolving national issues.
Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has dismissed claims that the recent defection of South-East governors to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) would guarantee the party victory in the region during the 2027 general elections.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, Obi said Nigeria is operating a democracy, not a military regime where political territories can be “captured.”
“The people will decide where to go, not governors or senators,” he said. “No political party can win a state simply because it has a governor there.”
Commenting on the defection of Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah and alleged moves by the APC to consolidate support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, Obi said, “Peter Mbah is my friend, and I believe he made his choice based on personal political calculations. But this idea of capturing regions doesn’t fit into a democracy. Leadership means serving and winning people’s trust, not forcing control. The government must earn support by doing what is right.”
On the planned protest for the release of detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, led by activist Omoyele Sowore and scheduled for October 20, Obi reiterated his long-held position that dialogue not repression remains the best approach.
“I’ve always maintained that Nnamdi Kanu’s arrest was unnecessary,” he said. “My approach is to consult, negotiate, and engage with anyone agitating for change. I’ve been consistent about this since before 2020. Now that the matter is before the court, due process must be followed. That principle applies to Kanu and to all agitators across the country.”
The former Anambra governor thanked those advocating peaceful dialogue, saying that addressing grievances through lawful discussion is the surest path toward unity and stability.
