LAGOS, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA)-The Labour Party has firmly ruled out any possibility of its 2027 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, stepping down for a coalition partner, warning that such a move would betray millions of Nigerians seeking transformative leadership.
Responding to growing speculation about a possible opposition alliance, the party’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, Tony Akeni, said any plan to sideline Obi would be “akin to taking away 90 per cent of the hope of Nigerians for redemption and a new beginning.”
Akeni emphasized that neither Obi nor the Obidient Movement is willing to surrender the 2027 presidential ambition, asserting the Labour Party’s resolve to contest the election independently if necessary.
“There is no substitute for the ideology of the Labour Party. We are going head-on for the presidency. Our motto is forward ever, backward never,” Akeni said.
He also urged former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to support Obi for the sake of national unity, referencing the recently formed “AGOBI’27” (Atiku Givus Obi 2027) coalition, which seeks to persuade Atiku to endorse Obi as a consensus candidate.
“Let Atiku think of what he wants on his epitaph. Would he prefer to be remembered as the man who sacrificed Nigeria for his ambition, or the man who sacrificed ambition to rescue Nigeria?” Akeni asked.
Backing the Labour Party’s position, the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Dr Yunusa Tanko, reiterated the group’s commitment to a Southern presidency in line with Nigeria’s power rotation principle.
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“It is still the turn of the South, whether we like it or not. If Peter Obi is removed, he can only be replaced by another southern candidate,” Tanko said.
He warned that any attempt to shift power back to the North in 2027 could jeopardize national unity.
Therefore, Tanko reaffirmed that Obi remains the movement’s sole candidate, citing his integrity, competence, and broad appeal.
In the 2023 election under the PDP, Atiku Abubakar who ran against Obi recently denied claims that he plans to step aside. His media adviser clarified that Atiku only expressed openness to supporting a younger candidate if chosen through a credible primary.
“What Atiku said is that anyone, including young people, can contest and if someone defeats him in a transparent primary, he will accept it,” the statement read.
Despite the clarification, speculation remains rife over a potential Atiku-Obi alliance, especially as opposition figures explore options to avoid a repeat of the 2023 scenario, where vote-splitting among multiple challengers helped deliver victory to President Bola Tinubu.
Amid growing concerns for the 2027 general election, the central question remains whether opposition parties can unite behind a single, viable candidate.
