Presidential aspirant under the Nigeria Democratic Congress platform and ex-governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, has debunked claims that he is avoiding former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Obi made the clarification on Friday in Cape Town, South Africa, on the side lines of the Spier Dialogue 2026, a pan-African governance forum.
He said, “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.
“I don’t run from him. Never. It has nothing to do with running from anybody. I’ve never run from anybody. I just believe that I do things differently.”
The comments come against the backdrop of a difficult few months in their political relationship.
Both men had earlier united under the African Democratic Congress as a coalition platform in their bid to oppose President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election.
BACKSTORY…
Recall that Obi formally joined the ADC on January 1, 2026, and Atiku welcomed him, describing the move as a turning point in the formation of political coalitions in Nigeria.
However, the coalition later collapsed. Obi said that he resigned because unresolved internal problems and ongoing legal disputes had distracted the party from national issues, not because of any personal grievance with Atiku or party chairman David Mark.
