Nigeria’s Peter Obi to contest 2027 election, opposition coalition in jeopardy
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Peter Obi confirms 2027 presidential run, rules out joint ticket with Atiku—raising fresh doubts about opposition unity under the ADA coalition.
Peter Obi Confirms 2027 Presidential Bid, Rejects Joint Ticket with Atiku Abubakar
Lagos, Nigeria – Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has confirmed his intention to run in Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, officially ruling out the possibility of serving as running mate to fellow opposition figure Atiku Abubakar. The announcement, made via a press release by Obi’s spokesperson Ibrahim Umar on Monday, comes a day after Obi hinted at collaborative leadership during a livestream on X (formerly Twitter).
“I won’t say I must have the ticket. That’s not leadership,” Obi said during the broadcast. “You must work with others, consult widely, and put Nigeria first.”
Despite his comments about inclusivity, Monday’s press statement clarified that Obi will not play second fiddle to Atiku or any other candidate. The news further fuels uncertainty surrounding the All Democratic Alliance (ADA) — a newly formed coalition intended to unify Nigeria’s opposition ahead of the 2027 polls.
Alliance in Crisis
The ADA, formed by merging major opposition parties like the Labour Party (LP) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), aimed to unseat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through a consolidated opposition front. But from its inception, the alliance has struggled with internal fractures, including a lack of consensus on leadership structure and branding — whether to form a new party or operate under an existing one.
According to reports in May, several ADA meetings were postponed due to persistent power struggles among key members.
Expert Reactions
Dr. Abdul-Wasi Moshood, Head of Political Science at Lagos State University, said Obi’s decision was predictable given his rising political stature:
“For somebody like that to now say okay, and be deputy to another person — it will be practically impossible.”
Dr. Moshood further noted that the coalition’s primary goal appears to be gaining power, rather than offering a united ideological front:
“We have not seen in any meaningful light that those who are coming together really want to stand in opposition. Simply put, they are all in coalition just to be able to access power in 2027.”
What’s Next for the ADA?
With Obi and Abubakar both eyeing the presidency, the ADA now faces a critical test: whether it can survive as a unified bloc or collapse into fragmented candidacies that could split the opposition vote — again benefiting the ruling APC.
The countdown to 2027 has begun, and for Nigeria’s opposition, unity may prove more elusive than power itself.
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