Senator Victor Umeh, who represents Anambra Central in the National Assembly, has confirmed his resignation from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and declared that his political alignment has shifted to the National Democratic Congress (NDC), amid ongoing defections linked to wider coalition realignments in the opposition space.
Umeh disclosed this during an interview with ARISE NEWS on Monday, stating that his resignation from the ADC took effect on 1 May, while also hinting at further political developments to come.
“I’ve resigned from the ADC since the 1st of May. And tomorrow you’ll hear more about it. NDC? That’s the destination,” he said.
The senator explained that the coalition that initially brought together several political actors began with strong public enthusiasm but later became strained by internal disputes and legal complications.
“When the coalition came together on the 2nd of July last year, it came with a lot of hope.
”People came together and Nigerians celebrated that people who can actually stand firm to put their feet down to offer Nigerians new hope have come together. And along the line, legal twists were introduced in the matter,” he said.
Umeh insisted that at the time the coalition was formed, no legal issues were pending, adding that due diligence had been conducted before the alliance was unveiled.
“No, there were no pending litigations when the coalition came together. A committee was appointed to do due diligence check on the party, and at the time the coalition came together and unveiled itself on the 2nd of July 2025, there was no pending case,” he stated.
Commenting on frequent party defections in Nigeria, Umeh attributed the trend to weak political institutions and lack of internal party discipline, arguing that instability within parties often forces politicians to leave.
“Let me tell you: movement from party to party happens in Nigeria because of the lack of stability in our politics. Political parties in Nigeria have not developed to the level of exercising control over its members.
”What we faced in the ADC is a conscious effort to make people run away from the party.
”You will not be there to actualize your objective. When the party becomes murky, you cannot remain there,” he said.
Addressing speculation about Labour Party leader Peter Obi’s political strategy, Umeh dismissed suggestions that Obi was positioning himself for easier access to a presidential ticket, instead describing him as a principled politician who avoids transactional politics.
“Mr. Peter Obi, when you interview him, he’ll tell you he will never take part in transactional politics. That is a mark of integrity and principle.”
He also argued that Obi’s political conduct reflects consistency rather than opportunism, noting that his exit from parties is often driven by discomfort with monetised political systems.
“He’s known to be like that. Somebody who has very great fiscal discipline. Peter doesn’t waste money.
”So if he’s operating in a system where everything is monetised, and he sees it’s going in a wrong direction. He can excuse himself. So that’s what he has done repeatedly,” he said.
On the structure of the ADC coalition, Umeh described it as a loose alliance of political actors without a clearly defined hierarchy, saying it was expected to evolve into a more organised platform over time.
“No, it was an amalgamation of all comers. People came from all backgrounds, all politicians were there.
”You cannot identify ADC with any exceptional leadership skill of anybody.
”Everybody who was wearing agbada and known politician who has played it big in Nigeria, everybody came to the same place.
”And you cannot hold anybody really accountable. And we hoped that as the coalition progressed, we’d be able to separate the wheat from the chaff,” he explained.
He added that early warning signs of internal imbalance were already visible within the coalition before its recent crisis deepened.
“The signs were there. I was also in the party. So you don’t need to tell somebody who is wise enough to know when the odds are piling against him,” he noted.
Reacting to speculation about possible legal challenges involving the NDC, Umeh said there is currently no case against the party in any Nigerian court, describing such claims as premature.
“As at this moment, there’s no legal action pending in any court in Nigeria against the NDC. A threat, a potential is nothing until it is realised,” he said.
