The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has said he will not personally step down for the African Democratic Congress candidate, Atiku Abubakar, ahead of the 2027 presidential election, arguing that any decision on an opposition alliance must be negotiated by the political parties.
Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, said the political situation had changed since the two politicians were involved in efforts to build a common opposition platform, stressing that he and Atiku were now presidential candidates of different parties.
He made the clarification during an interview with Arise Television aired on Thursday, where he discussed the 2027 elections, the opposition coalition, the economy, national unity, security and governance.
Asked whether he would be prepared to withdraw his presidential ambition in favour of Atiku, Obi said, “Do you know where we are now? Where we are now is that I’m a candidate, 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, 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 development comes as opposition politicians continue to explore possible alliances ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with the objective of mounting a stronger challenge to President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Obi, Atiku and other opposition figures had been associated with the coalition that adopted the ADC as its platform in 2025. However, the political arrangement did not lead to both men contesting the 2027 election under the same party.
Obi subsequently secured the presidential ticket of the NDC, while Atiku emerged as the ADC presidential candidate.
The development has fuelled speculation over whether either politician could eventually relinquish his presidential ticket to facilitate the emergence of a single opposition candidate.
But Obi’s latest comments suggest that such an outcome, if it is to happen, would have to emerge from negotiations involving the parties and their respective structures rather than from a personal agreement between him and Atiku.
The NDC candidate was also questioned about whether he would accept the vice-presidential slot should an arrangement be reached with Atiku.
Rejecting suggestions that he had previously turned down such an offer, Obi said, “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.
Obi and Atiku previously contested an election on the same ticket, with Obi serving as Atiku’s running mate under the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2019 presidential election.
Their political relationship changed ahead of the 2023 election after Obi left the PDP and contested the presidency on the Labour Party platform, while Atiku remained the PDP presidential candidate.
The former Anambra governor also spoke about the economic policies of the Tinubu administration, identifying the floating of the naira as one policy he would retain if elected president.
Asked to name a policy of the current administration that he would preserve, Obi said, “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 introduced the naira float in 2023 as part of its foreign exchange reforms, allowing market forces to play a greater role in determining the currency’s value.
Obi said his approach would be to complement the exchange-rate policy with increased production, arguing that improving the country’s productive capacity would strengthen the naira and the wider economy.
The NDC candidate has consistently advocated a shift from what he describes as a consumption-based economy to one driven by production, agriculture, exports and investment.
Obi also warned against allowing ethnic considerations to determine the outcome of the 2027 presidential election.
He urged Nigerians to assess candidates based on their programmes and capacity to deliver rather than their ethnic backgrounds.
He said, “Our election should not be driven by tribalism.”
The former governor also sought to reassure Nigerians in the North about his political intentions, saying he remained committed to the development of the region.
Addressing attempts to link him with the 1966 military coup, Obi noted that he was only four years old when the event took place.
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.”
He further argued that agriculture could become a major source of economic growth, particularly in the North, given the region’s agricultural potential.
On governance, Obi criticised the practice of Nigerian presidents spending their holidays outside the country.
He said that, if elected, he would require the President to spend vacation periods within Nigeria and use the opportunity to visit areas confronting insecurity 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.
When asked whether security concerns could make it difficult for a President to spend a vacation in a state such as Borno, Obi said the President should not allow such concerns to prevent him from remaining in the country.
“It doesn’t matter. Because that’s the country he lives in. That’s why he takes the money to Europe,” Obi declared.
He compared the situation with other countries, saying political leaders should remain closely connected to their citizens.
“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 criticised what he described as brief visits by political leaders to states affected by insecurity, arguing that presidential visits should involve sufficient time for engagement with communities and stakeholders.
The NDC candidate said, “A president who has not slept three nights anywhere in Nigeria,” Obi claimed.
He added that the President should spend several days in troubled states to gain a deeper understanding of their challenges.
“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.
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