Senator representing Anambra Central in the National Assembly, Victor Umeh has claimed that there were signs Peter Obi would not emerge as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC.

Vanguard reports that Peter Obi, at the weekend, resigned from the ADC, which he joined in December 2025, and joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, along with former Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

Umeh made the assertion while speaking as a guest on Arise TV’s Prime Time with Charles Aniagolu on Monday.

He suggested that signs of imbalance were already visible within the coalition.

Asked if it was made clear to Peter Obi he wouldn’t be the presidential candidate of the party, Umeh said, “No, the signs were there. I was also in the party. So you don’t need to tell somebody who is wise enough to know when the odds are piling against him,” he said

He noted that proper assessment was not done before the coalition was formed, highlighting that the ADC brought together politicians from diverse backgrounds without a clearly defined leadership structure.

Umeh added that the alliance was expected to refine itself over time and produce a credible, unified candidate for elections.

“No, it was an amalgamation of all comers. People came from all backgrounds, all politicians were there. You cannot identify ADC with any exceptional leadership skill of anybody. Everybody who was wearing agbada and known politicians who have played it big in Nigeria, everybody came to the same place. And you cannot hold anybody really accountable. And we hoped that as the coalition progressed, we’d be able to separate the wheat from the chaff. Things would fall in place, and the coalition would be able to discover in its midst someone they can actually present to Nigerians to be able to win an election.” He explained

He rejected claims that Peter Obi may be seeking easier access to a presidential ticket, describing Obi as a principled figure who avoids transactional politics and refuses to engage in money-driven party processes.

“Mr. Peter Obi, when you interview him, he’ll tell you he will never take part in transactional politics. That is a mark of integrity and principle.

“He’s known to be like that. Somebody who has very great fiscal discipline. Peter doesn’t waste money. So if he’s operating in a system where everything is monetized, and he sees it’s going in a wrong direction. He can excuse himself. So that’s what he has done repeatedly,” he said

Umeh has also joined Peter Obi in moving to the Nigeria Democratic Congress. (Vanguard)

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