Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential flagbearer, Peter Obi, has rubbished claims that he snubbed a joint 2027 ticket with Atiku Abubakar, revealing that no running-mate offer was ever placed on the table
Obi said he was never in a position where such an offer was made to him, insisting that he had not turned down any vice-presidential arrangement with Atiku.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television’s Morning Show, Obi was asked to clarify reports that he refused to run as Atiku’s vice-presidential candidate.
Responding, he said:
“Who said so? Where? I wasn’t even in any party where that offer was on the table. I wasn’t even in a position where it was being offered and I refused.”
The NDC candidate explained that the political situation had moved beyond individual negotiations, saying any possible alliance ahead of the 2027 election would involve political parties rather than personal decisions.
According to Obi, both he and Atiku are currently presidential candidates of different parties, making any discussion about collaboration a broader political issue.
“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.”
He compared possible political negotiations to a corporate merger, arguing that it was no longer a matter of two individuals simply deciding to work together.
“It’s like a situation where you have two corporations coming together. It’s no longer two CEOs going for a drink and saying, ‘We are going to work together.’”
Obi had previously clarified that he never stated he would accept a vice-presidential role to anyone ahead of the 2027 election, while maintaining that he was open to working with people committed to rebuilding Nigeria.
The 2027 presidential race has continued to generate speculation over possible opposition alliances, with political actors discussing potential collaborations ahead of the election.
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