- he has no reason to avoid the former vice-president, whom he regards as a respected leader and elder
- He added that his political decisions should not be interpreted as efforts to distance himself from anyone
Former Anambra State governor and presidential hopeful of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has dismissed claims that he is distancing himself from former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, ahead of the 2027 presidential race.
Eko Hot Blog reports that Obi made the clarification on Friday while speaking in Cape Town, South Africa, during the Spier Dialogue 2026, a forum focused on governance issues across Africa.
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He described Atiku as one of the closest figures to him both politically and personally, stressing that there was no tension between them.
According to Obi, he has no reason to avoid the former vice-president, whom he regards as a respected leader and elder.
“There are very few people as close to me as Atiku. I cannot be running away from him,” Obi said.
He added that his political decisions should not be interpreted as efforts to distance himself from anyone, noting that his approach to politics is simply different.
Obi and Atiku had previously aligned under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as part of efforts to build a coalition against President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.
Obi officially joined the ADC on January 1, 2026, a move that Atiku had welcomed at the time, describing it as a significant step in opposition coalition efforts.
However, the alliance later broke down.
Explaining his exit from the ADC, Obi maintained that his decision was unrelated to any personal disagreement with Atiku or the party’s chairman, David Mark.
Following the collapse of the coalition, Obi and former Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, moved to the Nigeria Democratic Congress, where they advocated for an end to litigation-based political battles.
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