A chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has claimed that Peter Obi rejected a proposal to become the running mate of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The claim comes amid continuing discussions about possible cooperation among opposition parties as political leaders position themselves for the next general elections.
Atiku is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), while Obi is the NDC’s presidential candidate. The two politicians previously ran on the same ticket in the 2019 presidential election, with Atiku as the presidential candidate and Obi as his running mate.
However, their political paths diverged ahead of the 2027 election after the opposition coalition formed under the ADC experienced internal disagreements and Obi subsequently joined the NDC.
The reported claim about the alleged running mate proposal remains disputed. In an interview with Arise Television in September, Obi denied rejecting an offer from Atiku, insisting that no such proposal had been presented to him.
Obi explained that any potential alliance between opposition parties should be negotiated by the parties involved rather than treated as a personal arrangement between individual politicians. He also said he was open to working with political groups committed to national development, job creation, education, healthcare and accountable leadership.
The latest claim adds to the debate over whether opposition parties could reach an agreement ahead of the 2027 election, particularly as their leading figures now occupy separate political platforms.
Neither the allegation nor the circumstances surrounding the purported proposal should be treated as established fact without further confirmation from the individuals involved.
The development highlights the continuing differences among opposition leaders as they consider their political options ahead of the election.
