Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, has openly asked his supporters to vote for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the upcoming August 16 by-elections, citing the absence of recognised Labour Party candidates on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) list.
Obi, who made the appeal on Thursday through his X account, explained that the Labour Party’s prolonged internal crisis had left it without validly nominated candidates for the polls.
The elections, set to hold across 16 states, will fill two senatorial seats, five House of Representatives seats, and nine State Assembly seats.
Obi’s message was direct: “Kindly note that because the Labour Party has no recognised candidates by INEC due to the internal crisis, I humbly urge every member of the Obidient and COPDEM families to go out and vote for the coalition political party, African Democratic Congress (ADC), in their respective states.”
The move marks a rare public shift in loyalty for Obi, who has been the face of the “Obidient” movement since the 2023 general election.