By Ayomide Otitoju
Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has confirmed he will contest for the presidency in the 2027 general election, putting to rest speculation about a potential alliance with Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as his running mate.
“I’m going to contest for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and I believe I am qualified for it,” Obi declared on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme.
When asked directly about the possibility of becoming Atiku’s running mate, the former Anambra State governor dismissed the notion outright. “This is not in play; nobody has ever discussed that with me. People assume so many things,” he said.
Obi reiterated his continued membership in the Labour Party but affirmed his active participation in the opposition coalition that recently adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its unified political platform to challenge President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
“I am part of the coalition which will be able to produce a president with the capacity and compassion to save this country,” Obi said, pledging to deliver transformational leadership within a single term. “I don’t need a day more than four years. I will show the direction of good governance.”
The former governor argued that two years was enough to begin reversing the “maximum damage” he believes the Tinubu administration has inflicted on the country. “People want to wake up and see a president that cares, that shows compassion,” he added.
Obi’s announcement comes days after a high-level opposition meeting held in Abuja on July 2, 2025, where key political figures — including Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President David Mark, ex-ministers Rauf Aregbesola and Rotimi Amaechi, and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai — agreed to adopt the ADC as the opposition coalition’s platform for the 2027 elections.
The coalition aims to capitalize on the combined strength of Atiku and Obi, who together polled over 12 million votes in the 2023 election — more than four million above the tally credited to President Tinubu, who was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Responding to criticism that the coalition comprises recycled politicians, Obi defended their inclusion. “One of the major companies in the world hired two people who worked in failed companies because they can tell you why they failed. You need the experience of those who have failed and those who have succeeded to move on,” he explained.
He also pushed back on suggestions of anti-party conduct due to his role in the ADC-led coalition. “There is no anti-party. Remember, we said for 2027. We are in 2025. The coalition just adopted a party for 2027,” Obi clarified.
Offering a metaphor, he said: “If I say I’m going to be part of your dinner in the evening, that doesn’t mean I should abandon my breakfast and lunch.”
Obi emphasized that his focus and that of the coalition is to offer Nigerians a more competent and compassionate government. “Today, I am a Labour Party member. I remain in the Labour Party. But we have all agreed to work as a coalition for the 2027 election, and for that, we’ve adopted ADC,” he said, adding that more parties and individuals may join as the alliance evolves.
“Our aim is simple — better governance for Nigeria,” he concluded.
