Nollywood actor and politician, Yul Edochie, has said that former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi cannot become Nigeria’s president at this time.
Edochie made the statement in a post shared on his official X account on Tuesday, where he downplayed Obi’s political influence and criticised his reported involvement in opposition coalition talks ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to him, Obi’s alleged alignment with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is already “dead on arrival” and a “total waste of time.”
He wrote, “Any political party Peter Obi joins will scatter. Whatever he’s doing with ADC is dead on arrival. A total waste of time. It’s not a physical problem. It’s deeper than that.
“I’m surprised he doesn’t know this already. Or maybe he knows but chooses to ignore it. But the truth remains the truth. Peter Obi cannot be President of Nigeria now.”
Edochie, a known supporter of President Bola Tinubu, further argued that Obi’s political strength is often overstated and that his participation in coalition efforts could weaken rather than strengthen such alliances.
The actor, who contested the 2017 Anambra State governorship election under the Democratic Peoples Congress, has in recent years become increasingly vocal on national political issues, frequently taking strong positions on opposition figures.
Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, was the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, where he emerged as a major third-force contender with strong youth and urban support.
Ahead of the 2027 elections, he has been linked to ongoing consultations among opposition figures, including coalition discussions involving the ADC. He recently joined other political actors in presenting the party as a potential platform to challenge Tinubu, calling for unity among opposition forces.
At a public event in Enugu, Obi reportedly described the coalition effort as a movement to “rescue Nigeria from poverty, disunity and democratic decline.”
Despite speculation about internal divisions within the opposition, Obi has dismissed concerns that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar could dominate or “hijack” any coalition arrangement involving the ADC.
Speaking during a visit to LEA Primary School in Abuja, Obi described Atiku as a “dear elder brother and respected leader,” playing down fears of rivalry within the emerging opposition bloc.