DistantNews
Support us
🇳🇬 Nigeria /Elections & Politics

Peter Obi denies avoiding Atiku Abubakar ahead of 2027 election

From The Punch · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Peter Obi, a Nigerian presidential aspirant, denied claims that he is avoiding former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 election.
  • Obi stated he has a close relationship with Abubakar, viewing him as a respected leader and elder brother.
  • The two politicians had previously explored a coalition under the African Democratic Congress but later parted ways due to internal conflicts.

Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra State and a presidential aspirant, has refuted suggestions that he is deliberately avoiding former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as the 2027 Nigerian presidential election approaches. Obi made these remarks while attending the Spier Dialogue 2026, a pan-African governance forum in Cape Town, South Africa.

"There are very few human beings who are as close as I am to Atiku," Obi stated. "So I can’t be running from him. This man is my very respected leader and elder brother. I don’t run from him. Never. It has nothing to do with running from anybody. I just believe that I do things differently."

There are very few human beings who are as close as I am to Atiku. So I can’t be running from him. This man is my very respected leader and elder brother.

· Peter ObiAddressing speculation about his relationship with Atiku Abubakar.

These comments come after a period of political tension between the two figures. Both Obi and Abubakar had initially united under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) platform to challenge incumbent President Bola Tinubu in the upcoming election. Obi officially joined the ADC on January 1, 2026, a move Abubakar had welcomed as a significant moment for Nigerian political coalition-building.

However, the alliance ultimately dissolved. Obi explained his departure was not due to personal issues with Abubakar or the party chairman, David Mark. Instead, he cited unresolved internal conflicts and persistent legal disputes that he felt were distracting the party from addressing national issues. Following this, Obi and another politician, Kwankwaso, defected to the Nigeria Democratic Congress, advocating for an end to litigation-driven politics.

I don’t run from him. Never. It has nothing to do with running from anybody. I just believe that I do things differently.

· Peter ObiFurther explaining his stance on his relationship with Abubakar and his political approach.
About this summary

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog