The Nigeria Democratic Congress’ presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has ruled out stepping down for his African Democratic Congress counterpart, Atiku Abubakar, ahead of the 2027 presidential election, stating that any decision on a potential opposition alliance must now be made by political parties rather than individual candidates.
Obi stated that the issue was not about whether he or Atiku would personally make way for the other, emphasizing that both men are now presidential contenders from different political parties.
The former Anambra State governor revealed this in an interview with Arise Television, which aired on Thursday. He spoke extensively about the 2027 election, the opposition coalition, the economy, national unity, security, and governance.
When asked if he would be willing to step down for Atiku, Obi replied, “Do you know where we are now? Where we are now is that I’m a candidate, and my leader, Atiku, is a candidate of another party, so you are talking about two parties coming together; it’s no longer me or me, as you are now talking about parties coming together.
“All those parties have candidates. So, it is a discussion. It is no longer me, as Peter is talking. It is like a situation where two corporations are trying to come together. It is no longer something where the two CEOs go for a drink and say, ‘We are going to work together.’ They need to look at how to bring these two corporations together.”
The statements come as opposition leaders work to build a united platform capable of confronting President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress in the 2027 presidential election.
In 2025, Obi, Atiku, and other opposition figures were part of a coalition that used the ADC as its platform, sparking hopes that the old allies could reunite ahead of the 2027 elections.
However, the partnership did not result in Obi and Atiku running the 2027 presidential election on the same platform.
Obi later emerged as the NDC’s presidential candidate, while Atiku was the ADC’s presidential candidate.
Their separate candidacies have fueled speculation that one of the two former friends may drop aside in favor of the other as part of efforts to generate a single opposition presidential candidate.
However, Obi stated that the subject should now be discussed in the framework of a potential accord among political parties, rather than as a personal discussion between himself and Atiku.
According to him, the presence of candidates from several opposition parties implies that any merger or coalition would include discussions about how the various political organizations would be incorporated.
His words appear to leave the door open for negotiations between the parties, but he rejects presenting the problem as Obi’s easy decision to hand up his presidential ticket to Atiku.
The NDC contender was also asked if he would take the job of vice president if an agreement was reached with Atiku.
Obi refuted claims that he had previously rejected an offer to serve as Atiku’s running mate.
“I don’t know where that was said. I wasn’t even in a position where that was being offered, and I refused,” he said.
His words appear to leave the door open for negotiations between the parties, but he rejects presenting the problem as Obi’s easy decision to hand up his presidential ticket to Atiku.
Obi and Atiku have a history of running for the same presidential ticket.
In the 2019 presidential election, Obi ran alongside Atiku on the Peoples Democratic Party platform.
Their political paths diverged ahead of the 2023 election, with Obi leaving the PDP to run for president on the Labor Party platform, while Atiku remained the PDP’s presidential candidate.
As a result of their participation in the coalition effort, both candidates will run for president again in 2027, but from separate opposition platforms.
The former Anambra governor also used the interview to distinguish between the economic measures he would continue if elected and those in which he would seek to shift the Tinubu administration’s course.
When asked to name one current administration policy that he would keep if elected president, Obi mentioned the naira floating.
“There’s one, the floating of the Naira. I’m not going to defend it. But I’m going to put productivity to make it more valuable to the people.”
The Tinubu administration implemented the naira float in June 2023 as part of broader foreign exchange reforms aimed at unifying the multiple exchange rate system and allowing market forces to play a bigger role in deciding the currency’s value.
The reform has remained one of the most contentious areas of the administration’s economic strategy, particularly given the steep depreciation of the naira following its implementation, as well as the impact on inflation, imports, household earnings, and business costs.
Obi’s approach, on the other hand, shows that if elected, he would not alter the floating exchange-rate system but would instead strive to fix what he sees as the Nigerian economy’s fundamental weakness.
Rather than defending the policy in isolation, he stated that his administration would prioritize growing productivity to boost the value of the naira and build the economy.
The former governor has continuously called for Nigeria’s transition from a consumption-driven economy to one based on production, agriculture, exports, and investment.
During the interview, he said that a stronger productive foundation would provide more support for the currency than measures to artificially preserve the naira in the absence of comparable economic growth.
The exchange rate is projected to be a prominent campaign issue in 2027, as Nigerians grapple with the repercussions of high inflation, growing living costs, unemployment, and pressure on household earnings.
Beyond the economy, Obi cautioned against letting ethnic concerns dominate the 2027 presidential election.
The NDC candidate stated that Nigerians should evaluate political candidates and their programs based on what they can give the country rather than their ethnic backgrounds.
He said, “Our election should not be driven by tribalism.”
The comment comes amid heated political arguments about regional calculations, zoning, and the geographical distribution of presidential support ahead of the 2027 election.
Obi also sought to reassure Northern Nigerians that his political ambitions were not directed at any specific region, emphasizing his continued commitment to the region’s development.
Addressing historical complaints about Nigeria’s political history, notably attempts to tie him with the 1966 military coup, Obi stated that he was only four years old at the time.
He said, “I am committed to the future of the North. I believe the North has so much to offer Nigeria. As a country, we can make more money from agriculture than we do from oil.
“There were regrettable things that happened in our collective history. I was not personally involved in those sad events, but it is time to show love and pursue unity in Nigeria. We must not dwell on the past. We can only build through love.”
The message was also a call to Nigerians to look past historical grudges and focus on subjects that can bring the country together.
Obi stated that agriculture was one of the most important ways for Nigeria to increase its economic base, particularly in the North, where enormous tracts of land and agricultural potential were available.
His statements are part of a larger argument that Nigeria should expand domestic output and lessen its reliance on oil and imported commodities.
The NDC presidential contender also criticized the tradition of Nigerian presidents spending their holidays abroad, claiming that an elected president should stay in the country and use such time to engage directly with locals.
Obi said he would mandate domestic vacations for the president if elected, arguing that the country’s leader should use the opportunity to visit areas facing serious security and developmental challenges.
“Nigeria’s president must spend his vacation in Nigeria. We cannot continue with this nonsense. Where do other countries’ own leaders spend their vacations?
“Nigeria’s president should go to Zamfara, to Borno, to Anambra, to anywhere. As president of Nigeria, I will visit other countries, but I will not take my holidays there,” he said.
Speaking on the security implications of spending vacation time in states affected by insurgency and banditry, particularly Borno, Obi maintained that the president should not use security concerns as a reason to leave Nigeria during holidays.
“It doesn’t matter. Because that’s the country he lives in. That’s why he takes the money to Europe,” Obi declared.
He highlighted parallels with political leaders in other nations, suggesting that a Nigerian president’s actions should show a strong bond with the country and its people.
“Do you know what it means for the British Prime Minister to say he’s going for vacation in Germany? That will be the end of him,” he said.
Obi also criticized what he called quick presidential visits to crisis-affected areas, suggesting that the president should spend enough time on the ground to grasp the issues and connect with essential stakeholders.
“A president who has not slept three nights anywhere in Nigeria,” Obi alleged.
He stated that trips to difficult communities should not be symbolic or restricted to brief official engagements but rather include ongoing dialog with inhabitants, traditional rulers, state officials, and other stakeholders.
“He should go to Benue and say, ‘I’m here for the next three days; I want to see these stakeholders in the state,’” Obi stated.
