Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, has refuted claims about a political coalition with former President Goodluck Jonathan ahead of the 2027 general elections, saying that there is no agreement between them to unseat President Bola Tinubu.
Dr. Yunusa Tanko, Obi’s media aide and National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, clarified the situation in an interview with The PUNCH.
Tanko’s participation comes in the wake of rising political tensions prompted by a recent closed-door meeting between the former Anambra governor and Jonathan in Abuja, which sparked speculation of opposition realignment.
He said, “My principal and the former president have a very good working relationship, and they know each other very well. So seeing them talk to each other does not mean anything. And it should not be translated to mean anything other than a platonic discussion on how to move this country forward.
“But I don’t think there’s anything more than that. No discussion or pact around 2027. Even when they met in Ghana, I was there. So there was nothing like that.”
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The comment comes amid rising unease among the opposition bloc, which has been working on a consensus strategy to oppose Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress in 2027.
On social media, followers of both politicians have engaged in intense conversations, pushing either Obi or Jonathan to step down for the other in what many see as a test of opposition unity.
On September 11, Obi met with Jonathan in Abuja, referring to him on his official X handle as his “elder brother, a statesman, and leader.” The Labour Party’s flagbearer said their “fruitful” gathering focused on the state of the nation.
Although neither publicized the specifics of the meeting, it occurred amid growing criticism of Tinubu’s administration and uncertainty about Nigeria’s economic trajectory.
Jonathan, who led Nigeria from 2010 to 2015, has recently assumed the position of an African statesman, mediating political problems and supporting democracy throughout the continent.
Obi, whose victory in the 2023 presidential election upended Nigeria’s long-standing two-party system, has conducted high-level consultations throughout the country, which are widely viewed as part of his early preparations for 2027.
