Former Anambra State governor and 2027 presidential hopeful, Peter Obi, has dismissed claims that he is avoiding former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the next presidential election.
Obi spoke on Friday during the Spier Dialogue 2026 held in Cape Town, South Africa, where political and governance issues affecting Africa were discussed.
The former Labour Party presidential candidate reacted to growing speculation surrounding his political relationship with Atiku following the collapse of their opposition coalition arrangement earlier this year.
“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,” Obi said.
His comments come months after both politicians attempted to build a united opposition front ahead of the 2027 general election.
Obi and Atiku had earlier aligned under the platform of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in what many political observers described as a major coalition move against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Obi officially joined the ADC on January 1, 2026, with Atiku publicly welcoming him into the coalition at the time. The former vice-president had described Obi’s entry into the party as a significant step towards strengthening opposition politics in Nigeria.
However, the alliance later suffered internal cracks.
Obi eventually pulled out of the coalition arrangement, citing persistent internal disagreements, legal battles and distractions within the party structure.
According to him, his exit was not connected to personal issues with Atiku or former Senate President David Mark, who served as a leading figure within the coalition discussions.
He maintained that the opposition movement was gradually losing focus on national issues due to internal disputes and litigation.
Following the breakdown of the alliance, Obi and former Kano State governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso moved to the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, where both politicians have continued consultations ahead of the 2027 elections.
