Obi Explains Why He Won’t Step Down for Atiku in 2027

Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has explained why he is not prepared to step down for his African Democratic Congress (ADC) counterpart, Atiku Abubakar, ahead of the 2027 presidential election, saying any decision on a possible opposition alliance must now be taken by the political parties rather than individual candidates.

Obi said the issue was no longer simply about whether he or Atiku would personally make way for the other, stressing that both politicians are now presidential candidates of separate political parties with their own structures and interests.

The former Anambra State governor made the remarks during an interview with Arise Television, where he discussed the 2027 election, opposition cooperation, the economy, national unity, security and governance.

Asked whether he would step down for Atiku, Obi said the political circumstances had changed because both men now represented different parties.

“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 explained that with different opposition parties already having their own candidates and political structures, any agreement would have to be negotiated at the party level.

“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. It is no longer something where the two CEOs go for a drink and say, ‘We are going to work together’. They need to look at how to bring these two corporations together,” he added.

The comments come amid continuing efforts by opposition politicians to forge a single political platform or consensus arrangement capable of challenging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 election.

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The opposition coalition initially generated expectations that Obi, Atiku and other political leaders could work together after the coalition adopted the ADC as its platform in 2025.

The political arrangement, however, did not result in Obi and Atiku contesting the 2027 presidential election on the same platform.

Obi subsequently emerged as the NDC presidential candidate, while Atiku became the ADC presidential candidate, setting the stage for both former allies to pursue separate presidential bids.

Their separate candidacies have since fuelled speculation over whether either politician could eventually step down in favour of the other as part of efforts to produce a single opposition candidate.

Obi’s latest comments, however, suggest that he does not view the matter as a personal decision to surrender his presidential ticket to Atiku.

Instead, he argued that any possible merger, alliance or consensus arrangement would require negotiations among the political parties involved, including discussions on how their different structures and interests would be accommodated.

The NDC candidate was also asked whether he would accept the position of vice-president if an agreement was eventually reached with Atiku.

Obi denied reports that he had previously rejected an offer to become Atiku’s running mate.

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

The clarification comes amid persistent speculation over a possible Obi-Atiku ticket ahead of the 2027 election.

Obi and Atiku have a history of contesting together. Obi served as Atiku’s running mate on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 presidential election.

Their political paths diverged ahead of the 2023 election, when Obi left the PDP and contested the presidency on the platform of the Labour Party, while Atiku remained the PDP presidential candidate.

The 2027 election will therefore mark another presidential contest involving both politicians, although this time they are seeking the presidency under separate opposition platforms.

Beyond the question of opposition unity, Obi used the interview to outline some of the economic policies he would retain if elected president.

Asked to identify one policy of the Tinubu administration he would keep, Obi named the floating of the naira.

“There’s one – the floating of the Naira. I’m not going to defend it. But I’m going to put productivity to make it more valuable to the people,” he said.

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The naira float was introduced by the Tinubu administration in 2023 as part of broader foreign-exchange reforms designed to allow greater market determination of the currency’s value.

The policy has remained one of the most debated aspects of the administration’s economic programme, particularly because of its impact on the exchange rate, inflation, import costs, businesses and household purchasing power.

Obi’s position indicates that he would not necessarily reverse the floating exchange-rate regime if elected but would seek to strengthen the productive capacity of the economy.

He said his focus would be on increasing productivity so that the naira could become more valuable rather than attempting to defend the currency without addressing the underlying strength of the economy.

The former Anambra governor has consistently advocated a shift from what he describes as a consumption-driven economy towards greater production, agriculture, exports and investment.

His latest position suggests that his economic strategy would focus on expanding domestic production and improving the country’s ability to generate wealth rather than relying heavily on imported goods and oil revenues.

Obi also warned against allowing tribalism and ethnic politics to dominate the 2027 presidential election.

“Our election should not be driven by tribalism,” he said.

According to him, Nigerians should assess political candidates based on their competence, character, policies and ability to address the country’s problems rather than their ethnic or regional backgrounds.

He also sought to reassure Nigerians in the North that his political ambitions were not directed against the region.

“I am committed to the future of the North. I believe the North has so much to offer Nigeria. As a country, we can make more money from agriculture than we do from oil,” Obi said.

The NDC candidate also addressed historical grievances associated with Nigeria’s political past, including attempts to associate him personally with the 1966 military coup.

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Obi said he was only four years old when the event occurred and urged Nigerians to move beyond historical grievances.

“There were regrettable things that happened in our collective history. I was not personally involved in those sad events, but it is time to show love and pursue unity in Nigeria. We must not dwell on the past. We can only build through love,” he said.

He argued that agriculture could become one of Nigeria’s major sources of economic growth, particularly in the North, where he said the country could generate significant wealth from agricultural production.

His position forms part of his broader argument that Nigeria must increase domestic production, create jobs, expand exports and reduce dependence on oil and imported goods.

Obi also criticised the practice of Nigerian presidents spending their holidays outside the country, saying the President should remain connected to the realities faced by citizens.

The NDC presidential candidate said that, if elected, he would spend presidential holidays within Nigeria and use the opportunity to visit communities facing security and developmental challenges.

“Nigeria’s President must spend his vacation in Nigeria. We cannot continue with this nonsense,” Obi said.

He argued that the President should be able to visit states affected by insecurity, including Borno, Zamfara and Benue, and use such visits to engage directly with residents, traditional rulers, state officials and other stakeholders.

“Nigeria’s President should go to Zamfara, to Borno, to Anambra, to anywhere. As President of Nigeria, I will visit other countries, but I will not take my holidays there,” he said.

When asked about the security implications of spending holidays in areas affected by insurgency and banditry, Obi maintained that security concerns should not prevent the President from being physically present in troubled parts of the country.

He argued that presidential visits to areas affected by insecurity should go beyond brief official engagements and should involve sustained interaction with communities.

Obi said the President should spend enough time in affected states to understand the challenges confronting residents and engage the relevant stakeholders.

“He should go to Benue and say, ‘I’m here for the next three days; I want to see these stakeholders in the state,’” he stated.

The former Anambra governor also criticised what he described as brief presidential visits to crisis-hit areas, arguing that spending more time with affected communities would enable the President to better understand the security and developmental challenges confronting them.

His comments come as security, the economy, cost of living, national unity and opposition cooperation are expected to feature prominently in the 2027 presidential campaign.

For now, Obi remains the NDC presidential candidate, while Atiku remains the ADC presidential candidate. Their separate candidacies mean that any eventual opposition alliance would require negotiations involving the political parties and their respective structures.

Obi’s latest remarks therefore leave open the possibility of further discussions among opposition parties while rejecting the idea that the 2027 contest should be reduced to a personal decision by him to step aside for Atiku.

The outcome of the ongoing opposition negotiations could determine whether the parties eventually field separate candidates or reach a consensus arrangement ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Obi Explains Why He Won’t Step Down for Atiku in 2027