Key Points

• Ruling party targets Peter Obi as main threat to its 2027 plans.

• Court and party crises weaken groups linked to Obi.

• Obi remains strong symbol of opposition and change.

Recent events in Nigerian politics show one clear thing. Peter Obi is the main person the ruling party and President Bola Tinubu want to stop ahead of 2027.

Many people in political circles believe the plan is to leave Obi without a strong party by the time the next election comes.

Court And INEC Actions Raise Questions

Some people think this idea sounds too simple. But what has happened so far makes it hard to ignore.

After Obi left the Labour Party on December 31, 2025, INEC suddenly acted on a Supreme Court judgment it had earlier ignored.

On January 21, 2026, a court in Abuja said Julius Abure’s time as party leader had ended and confirmed Dr. Nenadi Usman’s caretaker committee as the right leadership.

To many observers, this looked like INEC and the courts were working together. The goal, they say, is to block Obi’s political plans.

The APC has clearly changed how it treats him. Before, they called him a “social media candidate.”

Now, they are working to break down every structure that could help him run in 2027.

Why The Ruling Party Fears Obi

The reason is simple. Those in power know how strong Obi really is. Since the 2023 election, he has acted like a “shadow president.”

He talks often about bad policies, rising insecurity, and poor economic choices. In political talk today, “fear of Peter Obi” is a common phrase.

This fear has turned into open action. The ruling party no longer laughs at the Obidient movement. It now sees it as a real force that must be weakened if it wants to stay in Aso Rock in 2027.

Attempts To Damage His Image

The plan seems to be to paint Obi as someone who cannot manage a party, let alone a country. But his past does not support this story. Obi has always followed his beliefs.

He first joined the PDP in Anambra but had problems with powerful figures who did not like his strict ways.

Early Political Battles

He later joined APGA and won the 2003 governorship election. Though his victory was first taken away, the courts later returned it to him. Back then, the courts were seen as defenders of democracy.

Even in APGA, Obi faced trouble because he refused to allow public money to be wasted. Still, he stood his ground.

After serving two terms as governor, he went back to the PDP to aim higher, but he was pushed aside again.

From Vice Presidential Race To 2023 Election

Yet, he did not fade away. In 2019, he became Atiku Abubakar’s running mate. Together, they formed the strongest PDP ticket since the party lost power in 2015.

In 2023, when power was meant to shift to the South-East, Obi wanted the PDP ticket. When it became clear he would not get it, he moved to the Labour Party.

His campaign became one of the most powerful in recent history. Many Nigerians believe he won, even though official results placed him third.

Pressure On Parties Linked To Obi

Today, Obi is more than a social media figure. Many see him as the voice of the people. The same methods used against him in Anambra now seem to be used across the country. Parties that could host him, like LP and PDP, have been thrown into crisis.

When he moved to the African Democratic Congress on December 31, 2025, it shook the political space. Now, attention appears to be turning to the ADC.

The aim, many believe, is to weaken it too and force Obi to start all over again close to the primaries.

What 2027 May Become

Even with all this, the ruling party is still uneasy. It knows that in a free and fair election, power alone may not be enough to stop Obi.

If he manages to unite the opposition under the ADC or any strong alliance, 2027 will turn into a battle between the Nigerian people and the APC.

In that race, Peter Obi will not just be another candidate. He will stand as the face and driver of a national push for political change.