The former governor of Anambra State and presidential aspirant of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi has denied reports that he is avoiding former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Obi was said to have spoken on Friday in Cape Town, South Africa, on the sidelines of the Spier Dialogue 2026, a pan-African governance forum.
Atiku, he said, remained one of the people closest to him politically and personally.
Obi said he had no reason to run away from the erstwhile Vice-President whom he described as a respected leader.
“There are very few human beings that are as close to me as Atiku is,” he said. So I can’t be fleeing from him. This man is my very respected leader and brother.
I do not run away from him. Never. It’s not about running away from anyone. “I’ve never run away from nobody. I just think I do things different.”
Earlier, Obi and Atiku adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a coalition platform to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election.
Obi formally became a member of the ADC on 1st of January 2026 and Atiku welcomed the development, calling it a landmark moment in Nigerian political coalition building.
However, the alliance did not last long. Obi, on his way out of the ADC, said his decision was not based on personal issues with Atiku or the party chairman, David Mark.
Obi and former Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, later defected to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), where they demanded an end to litigation-driven politics.
Hon. Dr. Philip “Okanga” Agbese, a transformative leader in Enone. Discover his achievements, community projects, and vision for 2027
