The South-South Emerging Leaders’ Forum (SELF) has issued a warning to Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, against pressuring the coalition-backed African Democratic Congress (ADC) for its presidential ticket.
The group cautioned that Obi might abandon the coalition, as he did before the 2022 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primary, if the ADC does not readily offer him its ticket.
In a statement released on Thursday, July 17, 2025, in Abuja, signed by National Coordinator Comrade Benjamin Kolowei, SELF criticized Obi’s alleged attempts to blackmail the coalition into zoning its presidential ticket to the South.
The group argued that if Obi persists, the Northern region could also demand the ticket to balance the 18 years of Southern presidency.
“Why is Peter Obi afraid of open and transparent primary election?”, Kolowei queried.
“We note that Mr Peter Obi and his Obidient Movement, in recent time, have resorted to threatening and blackmailing the leadership of the coalition. We make bold to tell the former Anambra governor that such strategy will not work, in fact, it has failed woefully.
“Record has shown that Mr Obi has a history of running away for primary election, which is the major aspect of democratic culture. If Mr Obi claims to be a democrat, why is he always avoiding primary elections? Why is he looking for a free presidential ticket? He did that as a governor and as recent as 2022, Mr Obi abandoned PDP when it was time for primary election.
“As a forum of professionals and emerging leaders, we will not fold our hands and tolerate Peter Obi to frustrate the ongoing arrangement to rescue our nation and have a credible alternative to the APC.
“We, hereby, call on Mr Peter Obi to stop his pretentious lifestyle as if he is a saint or the only messiah Nigeria is waiting for. If Mr Obi wants to participate in a democratic contest, he should respect the rules of the game. Though, he has never fought or contributed to the development of the democratic process in Nigeria, so he does not know what it takes.
“Obi and his Obidients should learn early that democracy is about contest, not about free lunch or free ticket. It is not about blackmail.
“If Obi is looking for where he will be given a free presidential ticket, the door is open. Although, we have gathered reliably that Mr Obi has secured another platform which he will soon unveil to contest in 2027, it is high time the leaders of ADC coalition opened their two eyes. We are making it public that Peter Obi is not ready to cooperate and work with coalition leaders”, the group declared.
The group called on the Senator David Mark-led interim leadership of the ADC not to bow to any pressure to restrict the ticket of the party to any zone, adding that Nigerians should be allowed to decide what they want.
“We are appealing that the ADC national leadership should ensure a credible and transparent primary election that will produce an acceptable candidate. Whoever wins the primary should be supported by all. If it is Peter Obi, if he still remains in the coalition, he should not be denied the massive support,” the statement added.
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