Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has reportedly offered Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, the position of running mate in the 2027 general election. In return, Atiku has promised to serve only one term as president if elected.
According to a report by The PUNCH, the offer was made earlier this year during a private meeting between Atiku and Obi in the United Kingdom. The meeting was part of wider discussions to form a strong coalition against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
“Atiku and Obi met earlier this year in the UK. That was where Atiku first mooted the idea of a coalition and urged Obi to be his running mate. Obi then asked for time to think it over and consult his loyalists,” a source said.
Another source added, “Recent developments show that Obi has accepted to be Atiku’s running mate, and Atiku has also agreed to serve a single four-year term and hand over to the former Anambra State governor.”
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The two leaders are reportedly ready to sign a written agreement to formalise their deal, although Obi is still speaking with his supporters before making an official announcement.
The move has reminded many Nigerians of the 2019 elections, when Obi ran with Atiku on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). They lost that election to former President Muhammadu Buhari of the APC.
Now, with both the PDP and LP facing internal divisions, sources say the duo may consider running on a new platform, possibly the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
“The Social Democratic Party was part of the plans before now, but it seems the ruling APC has infiltrated the party. So, they are tilting towards the ADC. Some loyalists have already started meeting with ADC leaders, and others have quietly joined the party,” a source explained.
Atiku’s spokesperson, Paul Ibe, did not confirm the agreement but said coalition talks were ongoing.
He said, “I know that His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi have been talking about the coalition. All I can tell you is that both of them are focused on building a viable coalition to unseat the clueless APC government in 2027.”
Peter Ahmeh, a close Obi ally and National Secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), also refused to confirm the one-term agreement but stressed the need for unity within the LP.
Ahmeh said, “No comment on this one, until I speak with my oga. But to defeat the APC, we must follow the rules and avoid internal fights. We are in the LP as we speak, and that’s the best option for now.”
However, Yunusa Tanko, National Coordinator of the Obedient Movement, said he was not aware of any deal between Atiku and Obi.
“As far as I am concerned, after I met with him in Benin, there was nothing of this nature on the table,” he said.
Meanwhile, ADC Chairman Ralph Nwosu confirmed that his party was involved in ongoing coalition talks but did not say if Atiku and Obi had approached them directly.
“The ADC leadership has held conversations with all major stakeholders in the coalition drive and even people in government — that is, even people in the APC,” Nwosu stated.