2027: Atiku, Peter Obi Reject Single-Candidate Plan

The camps of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi have rejected a proposal by the G-100 political pressure group for opposition parties to unite behind a single presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 election.

According to Ireporter Online, the G-100 has been advocating a consensus opposition candidate as part of efforts to challenge President Bola Tinubu and prevent the fragmentation of votes among parties opposed to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

However, while both the Atiku and Obi camps support greater cooperation among opposition parties, they are reportedly unwilling to abandon their respective presidential ambitions for a consensus arrangement at this stage.

Atiku’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said the former vice president had moved beyond discussions centred on bringing opposition politicians together for another summit.

Shaibu maintained that Atiku had already presented his policy proposals to Nigerians and was prepared to allow voters to determine who would lead the country in 2027.

He also urged Nigerians to assess the programmes and policies of the various presidential contenders before making their choice, while describing Atiku as an experienced politician with the capacity to take over the leadership of the country.

Meanwhile, Obi’s camp has similarly insisted that the former Anambra State governor possesses the political credentials and nationwide support required to mount a strong challenge against Tinubu.

The NDC, while welcoming efforts aimed at improving cooperation among opposition parties, said it did not believe that all opposition parties must settle on a single candidate before they could defeat the APC.

NDC National Publicity Secretary Osa Director cited the 2015 presidential election, when the APC defeated then-President Goodluck Jonathan, as an example of how an incumbent could be defeated without every opposition party adopting one candidate.

Director said the NDC would not approach the 2027 election with the belief that opposition parties must merge or surrender their individual ambitions to defeat the ruling party.

However, he disclosed that if opposition parties eventually agree to a consensus presidential candidate, the NDC would favour Obi for the position.

According to him, the party considers Obi the strongest candidate within the opposition and believes he should lead any coalition that emerges ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The G-100, led by former Director-General of the Progressive Governors Forum, Salihu Lukman, has continued to argue that opposition parties would have a better chance of defeating the APC if they unite behind one presidential candidate and avoid splitting their support across multiple contenders.