In advance of the 2027 general elections, Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, has denied rumours of a political partnership with former President Goodluck Jonathan, maintaining that they have no agreement to remove President Bola Tinubu from office.
Dr. Yunusa Tanko, Obi’s media assistant and National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, provided the explanation in an exclusive interview with newsmen.
Tanko’s intervention comes after the former governor of Anambra and Jonathan met behind closed doors in Abuja, which raised political tensions and led to suspicions of opposition realignment.
He said, “My principal and the former president have a very good working relationship and they know each other very well. So seeing them talk to each other does not mean anything. And it should not be translated to mean anything other than a platonic discussion on how to move this country forward.
“But I don’t think there’s anything more than that. No discussion or pact around 2027. Even when they met in Ghana, I was there. So there was nothing like that.”
The statement comes at a time when the opposition alliance, which has been considering a unified plan to oppose Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027, is becoming increasingly anxious.
In what many see as a test of opposition unity, followers of both leaders have engaged in contentious conversations on social media, calling for either Peter Obi or Jonathan to step down for the other.
Peter Obi described Jonathan on his official X handle as his “elder brother, a statesman, and leader” after their meeting in Abuja on September 11. The flagbearer of the Labour Party stated that the topic of their “fruitful” discussion was the status of the country.
The parley took place in the midst of growing criticism of Tinubu’s administration and anxiety over Nigeria’s economic future, though neither revealed specifics of the discussion.
Jonathan, who served as Nigeria’s leader from 2010 to 2015, has recently assumed the position of an African statesman, settling political disputes and advancing democracy throughout the continent.
Nigeria’s long-standing two-party system was upended by Obi’s performance in the 2023 presidential election, and he has conducted high-level meetings throughout the nation. These actions are generally seen as part of his early preparations for 2027.
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