Peter Obi Addresses Rumours of Avoiding Atiku Ahead of 2027 Election

Peter Obi, the former governor of Anambra State and a presidential aspirant under the Nigeria Democratic Congress, has come out to refute claims that he is intentionally avoiding former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar. This clarification was made on the evening of Friday, May 22, in Cape Town, South Africa, where Obi was attending the Spier Dialogue 2026, a pan-African governance forum. Obi's remarks were in response to growing speculation about the current state of his relationship with Atiku, a situation that has garnered significant attention in the lead-up to the 2027 presidential election. In a direct address to the speculation, Obi stated, 'There are very few human beings who are as close as I am to Atiku. So I can’t be running from him. This man is my very respected leader and elder brother.' He further emphasized his stance by saying, 'I don’t run from him. Never. It has nothing to do with running from anybody. I’ve never run from anybody. I just believe that I do things differently.' These comments come after both Obi and Atiku attempted to establish a coalition platform prior to the 2027 election, utilizing the African Democratic Congress. Obi officially joined the ADC on January 1, 2026, with Atiku welcoming the move as a significant step towards building an opposition coalition against President Bola Tinubu. However, the alliance ultimately collapsed due to internal disagreements and legal disputes within the party. Following this, Obi left the ADC, alongside Rabiu Kwankwaso, to join the Nigeria Democratic Congress. Obi expressed his belief that the country needs to move away from what he described as litigation-driven politics, underscoring his decision to join a new party.