Once you join APC, your corruption is forgiven – Peter Obi

Nigeria: Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has criticised Nigeria's political landscape, arguing that party politics has lost its ideological foundation and is increasingly shaped by personal interests rather than principles.

Speaking during an appearance on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme, the former Anambra State governor claimed that politicians facing corruption allegations often appear to shed such accusations after joining the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

"For me, there is no political party in Nigeria today that has an ideology. There is none. Otherwise, the ideology of the APC would be that if you are corrupt and you move to the APC, you are no longer corrupt," Obi said.

Obi maintained that Nigeria's political future depends not on politicians switching allegiances but on electing leaders who possess competence, integrity and compassion.

He also accused the APC-led administration of undermining opposition parties, alleging that internal crises within the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), and previously the Labour Party (LP), were part of a broader effort to weaken political competition.

"The president said it, and it is happening. When opposition parties are having problems, that is his wish. Because of it, they are destroying the judiciary," Obi alleged.

The former presidential candidate pledged that, if elected president, his administration would safeguard Nigeria's multiparty democracy by ensuring opposition parties operate freely without interference from the executive or regulatory institutions.

Obi further dismissed suggestions that endorsements from state governors would automatically translate into electoral victory for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

According to him, governors do not always speak for the electorate in their respective states, insisting that the outcome of elections ultimately rests with the Nigerian people rather than political endorsements.

His comments come as political realignments and defections continue to shape the country's preparations for the 2027 general election, with debates over party ideology, governance and institutional independence expected to dominate the political landscape in the coming months.