Peter Obi Breaks Silence On Atiku VP Offer, Possible 2027 Coalition

Peter Obi has said any decision on a possible opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 presidential election must be taken by the political parties involved, rather than individual candidates.

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) made the clarification while speaking in an interview with Arise TV on Thursday.

His comments have renewed attention on the possibility of an alliance among opposition parties after several political groups met in Abuja on August 31 to discuss the coalition proposal.

The meeting, held under the auspices of the G-100, was aimed at furthering discussions on the coalition, which had been under consideration even before the parties held their presidential primaries.

However, there has been little public information about the outcome of the talks since the Abuja summit.

Peter Obi Speaks On Possible Alliance With Atiku

Obi, who is one of the major opposition figures preparing for the 2027 election, said negotiations over a possible alliance should be handled by the political parties and their structures.

When asked whether he would step down for former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar or accept the vice-presidential position if an agreement was reached, Obi said the matter had moved beyond the individual candidates.

“I’m a candidate, yes. My leader, Atiku, is a candidate of another party and I am a candidate for another party,” Obi explained.

“So, you are talking about two parties coming together; it is no longer him or me.”

The former Anambra State governor compared the process to a corporate acquisition, saying the leadership and structures of the parties involved would have to agree on how any political arrangement would work.

He stressed that a serious realignment could not be based on informal discussions between presidential candidates but must involve a formal agreement across the party structures.

Obi also said any opposition coalition should focus on issues affecting Nigerians rather than the sharing of political positions.

According to him, good governance, national security, job creation and increased economic productivity should be among the major priorities of any alliance.

Obi said he remained open to any strategic political alignment capable of addressing the country’s problems.

He added that his main objective was to build a coalition that could help lift Nigerians out of poverty and address the country’s infrastructure challenges.

Obi and Atiku previously worked together under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with Obi serving as Atiku’s running mate in the 2019 presidential election.

The two later contested the 2023 presidential election separately, with Obi running under the Labour Party while Atiku contested on the PDP platform.

‘I Was Not Offered VP Ticket’

Obi also dismissed reports that he had rejected an offer to become Atiku’s running mate ahead of the 2027 election.

He said no such offer had been formally made to him, contrary to reports that he turned down the vice-presidential ticket.

“I don’t know where that was said. I wasn’t even in a position where that was being offered, and I refused,” Obi said.

Kwankwaso Asks Atiku To Quit 2027 Race

Meanwhile, the Vice-Presidential Candidate of the NDC, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has called on Atiku to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race.

Kwankwaso made the call on Thursday when he received members of the Fulani Farmers Association at his residence in Abuja.

He urged Atiku, who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), to concentrate on his traditional role as Wazirin Adamawa, citing his age and health.

“Go to the Wazirin of Adamawa’s house and tell him in Fulfulde that he needs to focus on his traditional title, given his age and health. If Allah grants us success, we will take good care of him. An apology should be offered to him,” Kwankwaso told the delegation.

Atiku will turn 80 in 2027 and had previously acknowledged that the election could be his final attempt at becoming president.

“Certainly yes, because the stakes are higher and I believe that will be my last outing,” he said in April.

The former vice-president has contested the presidency several times since the 1990s under different political platforms, including the Social Democratic Party, Action Congress and PDP.

In 2023, he contested under the PDP and lost to President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).