Former Anambra State governor and 2027 presidential aspirant under the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has dismissed speculations suggesting he is avoiding former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 general election.
Obi made the remarks on Friday while speaking on the sidelines of the Spier Dialogue 2026 in Cape Town, amid growing public interest in the political relationship between both opposition figures.
Addressing the rumours, Obi described Atiku as a respected elder and longtime ally, insisting there was no tension between them.
“There are very few human beings who are as close as I am to Atiku. So I can’t be running from him. This man is my very respected leader and elder brother,” Obi said.
“I don’t run from him. Never. It has nothing to do with running from anybody. I’ve never run from anybody. I just believe that I do things differently,” he added.
The clarification comes months after Obi and Atiku attempted to forge a broad opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 presidential election through the African Democratic Congress.
Obi officially joined the ADC on January 1, 2026, a move Atiku hailed as a significant boost to efforts aimed at building a united opposition front against President Bola Tinubu.
However, the coalition later suffered setbacks following internal disagreements and legal disputes within the party.
Obi subsequently exited the ADC alongside Rabiu Kwankwaso to align with the Nigeria Democratic Congress, maintaining that Nigeria must move away from what he described as “litigation-driven politics.”
Comments