2023 election

Campaign
Main article: 2023 Nigerian presidential election § Campaign
On 24 March 2022, Obi declared his intention to run for President of Nigeria under the party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Afterwards, he pulled out, announcing that he will be running under the Labour Party instead. According to the Nigerian newspaper Peoples Gazette, Obi wrote to the leaders of PDP on 24 May 2022, to resign his membership, as well as reportedly complained of massive bribing of delegates and vote buying during the party’s presidential primary, citing the existence of a party clique collaborating against him.Obi’s business background and status as a major candidate unaffiliated with either of Nigeria’s two main parties has drawn comparisons with Emmanuel Macron’s successful 2017 French presidential election.

Obedients

During the 2023 Presidential election campaign, people under 30 proved to be some of the biggest Obi’s supporters, showing their support via social media, protests and street marches. Aisha Yesufu endorsed Obi in her first-ever endorsement of a presidential candidate. Young supporters of Obi’s campaign were generally called the “Obidients”, which was coined from his name “Obi”. In a Business Day opinion article, Chikwurah Isiguzo argued that:

[The Obidients] are attracted by Peter Obi’s ideology of frugality, economic production rather than the ostentatious consumerism and waste, and resourceful management and investment in key sectors, for economic growth and development.

Political commentators have generally argued that Obi’s third party candidacy appeals to young voters dissatisfied with the two major parties, which has resulted in the “biggest political movement in recent Nigerian history.”With his core message of prudence and accountability, Obi has managed to gain the backing of voters for his previously largely unknown Labour Party into a strong third force against two political heavyweights, APC and PDP. Before campaigns were officially kicked off, Obi’s supporters held a series of One Million Man Marches in several Nigerian cities including Makurdi, Calabar, Lafia, Port Harcourt, Afikpo, Owerri, Enugu, Auchi, Abuja, Kano, Ilorin, Abakaliki and Ibadan. The marches were not part of the official campaigns; as they were led by volunteer Obi supporters and not Obi’s in-house team or political party. The marches experienced massive turnouts.

Physician Doyin Okupe initially was the temporary running mate of Obi until a substantive candidate could be selected. In the run-up to the final selection of a running mate, media outlets reported that there was an effort to have former Senator Shehu Sani of Kaduna State serve as Obi’s running mate.

On 8 July 2022, Obi unveiled his running mate, Senator for Kaduna North Senatorial District Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed. Speaking on his choice of the vice presidential candidate, he stated:

This is our right to secure, unite and make Nigeria productive. And you can’t do that without having people who have similar visions, ideas and are prepared for the task. So, I have the honour today to present to you, God willing, Nigeria’s next vice president in the person of Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed.

Elections and results

2023 Nigerian presidential election § Primary elections, and 2023 Nigerian presidential election and Aftermath
The results were announced on 1 March 2023. Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress party, was named the president-elect with 8.79 million votes. Obi received 6.1 million votes, and won in both Lagos and Abuja.This put Obi in third place behind winner Bola Tinubu and People’s Democratic Party nominee Atiku Abubakar. Due to the elections being rife with several allegations, reports and evidence of voter manipulation, disenfranchisement and rigging, Obi announced that he would challenge the election results, stating that, “We won the election and we will prove it to Nigerians”.2027 election

2025 political party defection
On 31 December 2025, Obi defected to the African Democratic Congress citing his decision as “guided solely by patriotism and national interest”. He announced the defection at the Nike Lake Resort in Enugu. Senators Enyinnaya Abaribe, Victor Umeh, Tony Nwoye and Gilbert Nnaji were present during the deflection event. Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga faulted the defection, describing Obi as a “wandering politician…a politician who lacks the leadership pedigree to govern Nigeria”. The national chairman of Labour Party Julius Abure, a critic of Obi, described the defection as “liberation” to the party.

ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi told the Punch on 4 January 2026 that Obi’s formal defection boosted the party’s membership including entrance of lawmakers. Amidst rumours of Obi accepting the vice presidential ticket for ADC, the Obedient Movement stated that they could only vote Obi as the presidential candidate of the party and not as vice president. Following the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo’s claim that Obi has deceived his supporters into believing he could secure ADC’s 2027 presidential ticket whereas he already has a deal of being a VP under Atiku Abubakar, Economics professor Patrick Utomi on Channels Television’s Politics Today dismissed the claim, citing that he would withdraw his support should Obi accept to be Vice President. He also asserted that presidency as well as governorship positions shouldn’t be for people less than 70. Utomi’s endorsement and presidency stance of Obi was publicly criticised by Dele Momodu as “undemocratic”, claiming that anyone who condemns Obi being a Vice President is an undemocratic person.

Nigerian activist Aisha Yesufu endorsed Obi and condemned any party going to offer him a vice presidential ticket. Daily Trust, on 5 January 2026 reported that there have emerged an indication that the 2027 presidential ticket of Obi in ADC party may favour Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the New Nigeria People’s Party presidential candidate in the 2023 presidential election, as the vice presidential candidate.

Obi’s former running mate in Labour Party Datti Baba-Ahmed on 7 January 2026 declared his intentions to run as president for Labour Party in 2027. Made during a rally at Abuja, he said “Nigeria needs help” and also added: “Can I please remind you that before His Excellency Governor Peter Obi filed for the presidency, I aspired for the presidency before him? The records are there for you to see”. During the rally, while Julius Abure claimed that Labour Party remained intact and would grow stronger with Obi’s exit, Baba-Ahmed criticised Obi saying that “he won’t leave LP like Obi did”.

Former governor of Anambra State Jim Nwobodo endorsed Obi. According to The Guardian, Obi has been the subject of scrutiny, with analysts and political stakeholders weighing in on the quality of his candidacy and his position as a strong rival to President Tinubu