ABUJA — Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has dismissed reports that he rejected an offer to become the running mate to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Obi said he was never presented with such an offer and therefore could not have rejected it.
The former Anambra State governor made the clarification during an interview with Arise TV while responding to questions surrounding a possible alliance among opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The issue has generated speculation in political circles amid renewed efforts by opposition politicians to build a formidable platform capable of challenging the ruling party in the 2027 presidential contest.
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Obi and Atiku were previously political allies, with Obi serving as Atiku’s running mate under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the 2019 presidential election.
However, the relationship took a different turn in 2023 when both politicians contested the presidency on separate platforms. Atiku remained the PDP presidential candidate, while Obi contested under the Labour Party and finished third in the election.
In 2025, Obi, Atiku and other opposition figures were again brought together in an attempt to form a broad opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The coalition, however, later experienced divisions, with Obi eventually emerging as the presidential candidate of the NDC, while Atiku became the ADC’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
During the Arise TV interview, Obi was asked whether he would be willing to step down for Atiku or accept the position of vice president if opposition parties eventually reached an agreement.
The NDC candidate said the issue should not be reduced to a choice between himself and Atiku, stressing that any alliance would involve political parties and their structures.
“I’m a candidate, yes. So, my leader, Atiku, is a candidate of another party. I am a candidate for another party. So, you are talking about two parties coming together; it is no longer him or me,” Obi said.
He explained that negotiations involving multiple political parties would have to go beyond individual ambitions and focus on how the different political structures could work together.
According to Obi, the process would be similar to two corporations seeking to merge, where decisions cannot simply be made by the chief executives without considering the broader structures involved.
“All those parties have candidates. So, it is a discussion. It is no longer me, as Peter is talking,” he added.
‘I Was Never Offered the Position’
Obi also directly addressed reports that he had previously rejected an offer to become Atiku’s running mate.
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He denied making such a decision, saying no such proposal had been presented to him in the first place.
“I don’t know where that was said. I wasn’t even in a position where that was being offered, and I refused,” Obi stated.
His comments appear to leave the door open for further negotiations among opposition parties, although he did not commit himself to any particular power-sharing arrangement.
Obi said his priority was finding a political arrangement capable of addressing Nigeria’s economic and social challenges rather than focusing solely on individual political positions.
He said he would support any coalition genuinely committed to national unity, the rule of law, security, accountable leadership, education, healthcare and job creation.
“I want to be part of any coalition that will make Nigeria work. That will make Nigeria productive. That will create jobs for the young ones. That will pull people out of poverty. That will make education work,” Obi said.
His remarks are likely to fuel further discussions about the possibility of a unified opposition ahead of the 2027 presidential election, particularly as political parties and major contenders continue to position themselves for the contest.
For now, Obi’s clarification is that he did not reject any offer to become Atiku’s running mate because, according to him, no such offer was made to him.
The possibility of an opposition alliance, however, remains a subject of intense political discussion as the 2027 election approaches.
