Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has denied reports suggesting he has agreed to be the running mate to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the 2027 general elections.
Speaking in Abuja during a visit to the Anglican Diocese of Kubwa, where he donated N20 million to support school and hospital projects, Obi insisted that his political mission was not about vying for positions but about championing a coalition to fight poverty, hunger, and bad governance in Nigeria.
“I’m in a coalition against hunger, a coalition against poverty, a coalition against ill health. Politics for me is not about positions; it is about doing the right thing, whatever you make of it (the reports), I can tell you that, I, Peter, have told you where I stand. I just came back from Rome this morning. I didn’t talk about politics; I’m talking about the education of these children,” Obi told journalists.
He added, “In this country, we are not talking about what we should be talking about. What we should be talking about is how we are going to educate our children.”
Obi’s response follows media reports alleging that he and Atiku had reached a pact in which the latter would contest the presidency for a single term while Obi would serve as Vice President and later take over.
The reports also claimed Atiku was willing to formalize this agreement in writing.
The Obidient Movement, a support group for Obi, also issued a statement discrediting the report.
Its Director of Strategic Communications, Nana Kazaure, said, “The Obidient Movement has been inundated with calls from members within and outside Nigeria, including the general public, regarding a publication claiming that our principal, Peter Obi, has been offered the running mate position to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.”
The OBIdient Movement stated that Peter Obi remains a member of the Labour Party and any change in his affiliation would be announced by him personally.
The statement advised against sensationalism and speculation, urging Nigerians and the media to focus on building a better country.
The movement’s denial comes amid ongoing discussions about potential coalitions ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The statement continued, “Even though the publication is imaginary to the author, we find it appropriate to react in view of possible far-reaching misconceptions in the public space. While frank and cordial engagements with our partners and stakeholders towards a coalition continue amicably, the Obidient Movement would like to state emphatically that there is no truth or basis to the reports whatsoever.”
Meanwhile, Atiku Abubakar’s media aide, Paul Ibe, confirmed that coalition discussions with Obi and other opposition leaders are indeed ongoing, though no formal agreements have been reached.
“What I can confirm is that His Excellency Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and other opposition leaders are working seriously to build a viable and robust coalition platform. Some of the details are still under wraps not yet public. But the process is ongoing, and change is going to happen sooner rather than later,” Ibe told journalists.
When pressed about Obi being Atiku’s running mate, Ibe responded, “There are certain things you can’t just speculate about, especially something this historical, you understand? Everyone is speculating depending on who they are. But something like this isn’t something you throw around carelessly.”
He added, “Power truly belongs to the people, and the people are powering this coalition process.”
