Former Anambra State Governor and presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has denied reports that he rejected an offer from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to become his running mate ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Obi dismissed the claim while addressing speculation about his relationship with Atiku and the possibility of the two opposition politicians working together in the next presidential contest.
The former governor said he had not been presented with any such offer, making it impossible for him to have rejected one.
His clarification comes amid renewed discussions among opposition politicians over how to challenge President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress in 2027.
Atiku and Obi were previously political allies in the 2023 presidential election, when Obi contested under the Labour Party while Atiku represented the Peoples Democratic Party. Both men have since moved into a broader opposition realignment as political groups explore possible cooperation ahead of the next election.
The question of whether either politician would step aside for the other has become a major subject of discussion among opposition supporters.
Obi’s latest comments were therefore seen as an attempt to address reports suggesting that discussions had already taken place over a possible presidential arrangement involving Atiku and Obi.
He maintained that he was not avoiding Atiku and rejected suggestions that there was a personal disagreement between them.
The former governor has remained active in efforts to build an alternative political platform ahead of 2027 and has repeatedly spoken about the need for political leaders to focus on producing a better government rather than concentrating solely on electoral calculations.
His position also comes against the background of the opposition’s search for a strategy capable of preventing the ruling APC from retaining the presidency.
Several opposition figures have argued that a divided opposition could make it easier for the governing party to win another term, leading to calls for political parties and prominent presidential contenders to work together.
However, negotiations over who should lead any proposed coalition have proved complicated, given the ambitions of major political figures and the different interests of the parties involved.
Atiku, who has contested the presidency several times, remains one of the leading opposition figures, while Obi retains significant support from voters who backed his 2023 presidential campaign.
The former Anambra governor has also continued to insist that Nigeria needs a fundamental change in the way government is run, with greater emphasis on production, economic opportunity, security and human capital development.
The speculation over an alleged vice-presidential offer is therefore part of a much larger debate over how the opposition should organize itself for the 2027 contest.
Obi’s denial suggests that no agreement of the kind being discussed publicly has been reached between him and Atiku.
It also leaves open the question of how the two politicians and other opposition leaders might eventually position themselves if a broader coalition is formed.
Political negotiations are expected to intensify as the 2027 election draws closer, with parties and political movements weighing the advantages of cooperation against the ambitions of their individual candidates.
For now, Obi has made it clear that reports that he was offered Atiku’s running mate position and turned it down do not reflect his account of events.
The development is likely to keep attention focused on the evolving relationship between the two politicians and on whether Nigeria’s major opposition figures can eventually agree on a common strategy for the 2027 presidential election.
