The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi, has ruled out stepping down for his African Democratic Congress, ADC, counterpart, Atiku Abubakar, ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Obi said the question of whether either of the two politicians should withdraw should no longer be treated as a personal decision, but as an issue to be negotiated by the political parties involved.
The former Anambra State governor made the comments during an interview with Arise Television on Thursday, where he discussed the 2027 election, opposition cooperation, the economy, security, national unity and governance.
According to Obi, both he and Atiku are now presidential candidates of separate political parties, meaning any possible alliance would require negotiations on how the different political structures could work together.
He likened the situation to two corporations seeking to merge, saying the process could not simply be decided by the chief executives of the organisations.
The development comes amid continued efforts by opposition leaders to form a common platform capable of challenging President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in 2027.
In 2025, Obi, Atiku and other opposition figures were involved in a coalition that adopted the ADC as its platform. However, the arrangement did not result in both politicians contesting the 2027 election under the same party.
Obi later emerged as the NDC presidential candidate, while Atiku secured the ADC presidential ticket.
The separate candidacies have fuelled speculation that one of them could eventually withdraw to produce a single opposition candidate.
Obi, however, said any such decision would have to form part of wider negotiations among the parties rather than a personal agreement between him and Atiku.
When asked whether he would accept the vice-presidential position if an agreement was reached with Atiku, Obi denied ever turning down an offer to become Atiku’s running mate.
He said he had never been in a position where such an offer was made to him.
Obi and Atiku previously contested the presidency on the same ticket in 2019, when Obi served as Atiku’s running mate under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Their political paths separated ahead of the 2023 election, with Obi leaving the PDP to contest under the Labour Party, while Atiku remained the PDP presidential candidate.
Obi Backs Naira Float, Calls for Increased Production
On the economy, Obi said he would retain the floating exchange-rate policy introduced by the Tinubu administration if elected, but would focus on increasing productivity to strengthen the naira.
He said his administration would not defend the policy itself, but would make the currency more valuable by improving economic output.
The Tinubu administration introduced the naira float in June 2023 as part of its foreign exchange reforms aimed at unifying the exchange-rate system and allowing market forces to play a greater role in determining the value of the currency.
Obi has consistently advocated a shift from what he describes as a consumption-based economy towards greater production, agriculture, exports and investment.
He argued that expanding domestic production would provide a stronger foundation for the naira than attempts to artificially support the currency without corresponding growth in economic output.
Obi Warns Against Ethnic Politics
The NDC candidate also called on Nigerians to avoid allowing ethnic considerations to dominate the 2027 presidential election.
He said candidates should be judged based on their policies and what they could offer the country rather than their ethnic backgrounds.
Obi also sought to reassure people in Northern Nigeria that his political ambitions were not directed against the region.
He said the North had significant potential to contribute to Nigeria’s economic development, particularly through agriculture, arguing that the country could generate more revenue from agriculture than from oil.
Addressing attempts to link him to Nigeria’s 1966 military coup, Obi said he was only four years old at the time and had no personal involvement in the events.
He urged Nigerians to move beyond historical grievances and focus on unity and national development.
Obi Wants Nigerian Presidents to Spend Holidays at Home
Obi also criticised the practice of Nigerian presidents spending their holidays outside the country.
He said, if elected, he would require the President to spend vacation periods within Nigeria and use the opportunity to visit areas facing security and development challenges.
According to him, a Nigerian president should visit states such as Zamfara, Borno and Anambra rather than travel abroad for holidays.
Obi argued that security concerns should not prevent the President from spending time in parts of the country affected by insecurity, saying the President should remain connected to the realities faced by Nigerians.
He also criticised what he described as brief presidential visits to crisis-affected states, saying the President should spend several days engaging residents, traditional rulers, state officials and other stakeholders to properly understand the challenges facing those communities.
Source: PUNCH
