Labour Party stalwart and 2023 presidential contender, Peter Obi, has officially declared his intention to run for president in 2027, shutting down speculations of a potential running mate role to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
“I’m going to contest for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and I believe I am qualified for it,” Obi said during an interview on Channels TV’ Sunday Politics monitored by The News Chronicle.
Pressed on whether he might join forces with Atiku again, the former Anambra State governor dismissed the idea outright: “Nobody has ever discussed that with me. People just assume. That’s not in play.”
Obi reaffirmed his loyalty to the Labour Party but emphasized his active involvement in the opposition coalition, which recently adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its platform to challenge President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
“I am part of the coalition that will produce a president with the capacity and compassion to save this country,” he said, noting that he doesn’t need more than a single term to make a difference. “I don’t need a day more than four years. I will show the direction of good governance.”
Obi lambasted the current administration for what he called “maximum damage” in just two years, insisting that a turnaround is possible with the right leadership. “People want a president who cares, who shows compassion,” he added.
The July 2 announcement of the ADC as the opposition’s united platform saw heavyweights like Atiku, David Mark, Rotimi Amaechi, Nasir El-Rufai, and Rauf Aregbesola converge under one banner in a bid to oust the APC and reverse Nigeria’s economic freefall marked by historic inflation and a soaring cost of living.
Critics have dismissed the coalition as a gathering of “spent forces,” but Obi disagrees.
“Even those from failed administrations bring valuable experience,” he argued. “Some of the world’s biggest companies hire people from failed outfits, because they know what not to do.”
Obi clarified that his participation in the coalition does not amount to anti-party conduct.
“We’re in 2025, not 2027. Saying I’ll attend your dinner doesn’t mean I abandon my lunch,” he quipped. “I remain a member of the Labour Party, but we’ve adopted ADC as our coalition platform. Other parties and individuals will still join.”
The coalition is banking on the combined electoral weight of Obi and Atiku, who in the 2023 polls jointly polled over 12 million votes, more than four million above the total credited to Tinubu, according to INEC.
“Our goal is better governance,” Obi stressed. “We want a government built on competence, capacity, and character.”
