Peter Obi has ruled out stepping down for Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 presidential election, saying any potential alliance between opposition forces must now be negotiated by the political parties rather than individual candidates.
Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), said the situation had changed because he and Atiku are now presidential candidates of separate political parties.
The former Anambra State governor made the remarks during an interview with Arise Television aired on Thursday, where he discussed the 2027 election, the opposition coalition, the economy, national unity, security and governance.
Peter Obi Says 2027 Alliance Is Bigger Than Candidates
Responding to a question on whether he would step down for Atiku, Peter Obi said the issue should no longer be viewed as a personal decision between the two politicians.
According to him, both he and Atiku are now candidates representing separate political parties, meaning any agreement would have to involve the parties themselves.
“Do you know where we are now? Where we are now is that I’m a candidate, my leader Atiku is a candidate of another party, so you are talking about two parties coming together; it’s no longer me or me, as you are now talking about parties coming together,” Obi said.
He added that all the political parties involved already have candidates, making any potential arrangement a matter for negotiation.
Peter Obi likened a possible opposition alliance to the merger of two corporations, arguing that such a process cannot be determined simply through an informal agreement between the leaders.
“All those parties have candidates. So, it is a discussion. It is no longer me, as Peter, talking. It is like a situation where two corporations are trying to come together,” he said.
Obi stressed that the parties would need to determine how such an alliance could be structured and implemented.
“They need to look at how to bring these two corporations together,” he added.
Although Peter Obi rejected the idea of personally stepping down for Atiku Abubakar, his comments leave open the possibility of a broader opposition alliance ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
His position suggests that any decision on a joint presidential ticket or coordinated opposition strategy would depend on negotiations among the parties and their respective stakeholders.
The debate over opposition cooperation is expected to remain a major issue as political parties position themselves ahead of the 2027 presidential contest.
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