Presidential special adviser Daniel Bwala has stirred political debate after declaring that Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, will not emerge as the flagbearer of any political party in the 2027 elections — not even the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which has been touted as a possible opposition coalition platform.

Speaking on Channels Television on Wednesday, Bwala went further to suggest that Obi’s political fortunes have waned since the last election, claiming that the former Anambra governor has already lost half of the votes he secured in 2023.

“He is not going to get a ticket in any of the parties. That is Peter Obi. The problem now is that he might not even get the vice presidential slot from the way things are going,” Bwala stated.

Bwala argued that Obi’s previous votes were “built on rhetoric and division” rather than a solid political agenda, and that “Nigerians’ eyes are now open.” He confidently predicted that President Bola Tinubu will secure at least two million votes in the South-East during the next presidential election.

In July 2025, Obi joined former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other major opposition figures in endorsing the ADC as a possible united front to challenge Tinubu in 2027. This move had fueled speculation about Obi’s potential return to the presidential race.

Bwala’s latest comments, however, suggest that behind-the-scenes political calculations may be moving against him — and that Tinubu’s camp is confident of making inroads in regions where the president previously struggled.

With less than two years to the next general election, the political landscape is already heating up, and Obi’s next move could determine whether he remains a major player or fades from the 2027 conversation.