Five Political Associates Who Have Walked Away From Peter Obi’s Camp Ahead of 2027

According to report by The Nation on Thursday, November 12, 2026, five prominent political figures who played significant roles in Peter Obi’s 2023 presidential campaign have since distanced themselves from his political camp, switched allegiance to other parties or disagreed with his political decisions.

The latest development involves Yunusa Tanko, a former National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, who recently accepted an appointment as Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Council of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate, Adewole Adebayo.

Obi, who contested the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the Labour Party, is now the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate for the 2027 election.

Despite retaining considerable grassroots support, the former Anambra State governor has faced challenges in maintaining relationships with some individuals who were instrumental to his previous presidential campaign.

Here are five prominent political associates whose relationships with Obi have changed since 2023.

1. Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed: Baba-Ahmed was Obi’s running mate in the 2023 presidential election and played a significant role in promoting the Obi-Datti ticket.

However, reported disagreements over Obi’s political direction have generated speculation about their relationship.

Although he has not publicly announced a departure from Obi’s camp, the alleged differences have attracted attention.

2. Kenneth Okonkwo: The actor, lawyer and politician was among the most outspoken members of Obi’s campaign team.

However, he left the Labour Party in July 2024, expressing dissatisfaction with Obi’s handling of the party’s leadership crisis.

He also questioned Obi’s ability to build a strong opposition platform before eventually aligning with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.

3. Valentine Ozigbo: Ozigbo, a businessman and politician from Anambra State, resigned from the Labour Party in February 2025, citing developments within the organisation.

He subsequently joined the All Progressives Congress (APC), although he reportedly communicated his decision to Obi respectfully.

4. Yunusa Tanko: Tanko, who coordinated the Obidient Movement during the 2023 election, recently joined Adewole Adebayo’s SDP campaign as Director-General, marking a major political shift.

5. Isaac Balami: Balami served as Deputy Campaign Manager of the Obi-Datti campaign.

However, after the 2023 election, he moved away from Obi’s political camp and aligned with the APC.

These departures highlight the difficulties facing Obi as he works to consolidate political alliances ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

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