Inside 2027: Peter Obi’s Alleged Agreement with Atiku Abubakar and the Coalition
The Nigerian political scene is taking shape in preparation for the presidential race of 2027.
The ruling party certainly will have president Bola Ahmed Tinubu as its flag bearer in 2027.
Also, the party in question is growing daily due to a high number of politicians defecting from opposition parties to the APC. However the question of the party growing in strength is not the focus for now. The focus of most Nigerians are on the major oppositions parties: PDP, LP, and SDP.
Many prominent Nigerians have advised against multiple opposition parties fielding presidential candidates as was in 2023; a development that led to Tinubu’s victory.
Public opinion demands that PDP go into coalition with other opposition parties to better their chances in 2026. A faction of the PDP loyal to vice president Atiku Abubakar seem to have taken the advice as Atiku had been making visible move to forming a coalition of the opposition parties.
Reports have claim that Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and Nasir El-rufai have secretly reached a pact; on the terms for a possible coalition. The essence is to present a front strong enough to unseat Tinubu come 2027. This however begs the question, who will be the coalition’s flag bearer?
Further details from media speculations have it that the opposition’s coalition intends to present Obi as the flag bearer. This also means that perhaps Atiku has finally yielded to multiple advices directed at him to step away from the race as a contestant and come in as a mentor.
Moreso, speculation has it that the agreement Obi reached with his former mentor is to run for presidency for a single tenure after which the power is expected to return to the North.
While the agreement of whom would bear the coalition’s flag as been reportedly reached, the other unanswered question is who would run as Obi’s vice?
That would be a hard nut to crack, and it also means that the coalition would have to expand to involve others like the Social Democratic Party. With a prominent member like El-Rufai in the SDP, he stands a chance to bring the change desired by Nigerians. However, what would an Aso Rock occupied by Obi and El-Rufai as president and vice president look like? Will El-Rufai be willing to run as his vice? That brings in the option of Bala Mohammed.
Reports have it that the Bauchi State governor is being looked upon as one of the suitable hands to serve as vice to Obi. With him in the game, it removed the option of bringing SDP into the LP-PDP coalition. Also, it removes any form of string or demands that would come from El-Rufai’s end. The happenstance between him and the APC hasn’t faded from the brains of Nigerians.
Further, all these are agreement between Obi and Atiku and perhaps a few others in the PDP and LP camps. The real question is, will the entire PDP, including the governors’ forum headed by Makinde of Oyo State, back this? They have never liked the idea of PDP going into coalition with any other party. Will they give their support or will PDP experience another internal crisis like it did in 2022?
