Ismail Abdulazeez Mantu Reporting
Atiku Abubakar has reportedly offered 2023 presidential candidate and ex-Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, the vice-presidential (VP) slot on a proposed one-term joint ticket ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to multiple sources involved in the ongoing coalition talks, Atiku and Obi met privately in the United Kingdom earlier this year, where the offer was tabled.
Insiders said Atiku pledged to serve only one term, after which he would hand over power to Obi.
The move is seen as a major step toward uniting opposition forces to challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
However, sources close to Obi revealed that he is still consulting his loyalists and political allies before making any formal commitments.
This would not be the first time Atiku and Obi teamed up. In 2019, Obi ran as Atiku’s running mate under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in an unsuccessful attempt to unseat then-President Muhammadu Buhari.
In March 2025, Atiku and Obi, alongside former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and other political heavyweights, formed a grand opposition coalition to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The coalition has since sparked rumors of a renewed Atiku-Obi alliance, although the specific terms were not disclosed at the time.
A PDP insider disclosed that talks are ongoing to build consensus among stakeholders, with a final decision expected before the May 2026 deadline for presidential primaries.
“Both leaders know that time is running out. By May 2026, most parties will have made their candidates public,” the source said. “You know that by this time next year, by May 2026, almost all parties would have unveiled their presidential candidates for the 2027 elections. So, the coalition move is mindful of that.
“The leaders have all agreed that it’s only a coalition between Atiku, Obi, and others that can wrest power from Tinubu. So, they are crossing the T’s and dotting the I’s to finalise this.
The source also revealed that Obi has, in principle, agreed to the deal but is awaiting feedback from his inner circle before going public.
“Atiku and Obi met earlier this year in the UK,” the insider said. “That was where Atiku first mooted the idea of a coalition and urged Obi to be his running mate. Obi then asked for time to think it over and consult his loyalists.
“But recent developments show that Obi has accepted to be Atiku’s running mate, and Atiku has also agreed to serve a single four-year term and hand over to the former Anambra State governor. They have both agreed to sign a written agreement if necessary. Obi is trying to get the buy-in of his loyalists before this is formally announced.”
Due to internal crises within both the PDP and Labour Party (LP), coalition leaders are reportedly considering moving the alliance to a neutral platform such as the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Meetings between coalition members and ADC leadership are ongoing.
“The crisis in PDP and LP is frustrating. While they are both making efforts and waiting to see if the crisis can be resolved in favour of their camps, they are both looking at possible political parties to run on.
“The Social Democratic Party was part of the plans before now, but it seems the ruling APC has also infiltrated the party. So, they are tilting towards the ADC. As a matter of fact, some of the loyalists have been meeting with the ADC leadership, and others have quietly joined the party. So, if things do not favour them in LP and PDP, they may join ADC,” the source said
Atiku’s spokesperson, Paul Ibe, confirmed that coalition talks were ongoing but declined to offer details.
“I know that His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi have been talking about the coalition,” Ibe said. “I cannot speak on the specific agreement they have reached. All I can tell you is that both of them are focused on ensuring that they build a viable coalition that will be robust enough to accommodate diverse Nigerians to unseat the clueless APC government in 2027.”
Peter Ahmeh, a close associate of Obi and Secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties, also declined to confirm the running mate arrangement but stressed the need for unity.
“No comment on this one, until I speak with my oga,” Ahmeh said. “My position on this remains that, for us to defeat the APC, we must follow the rules of engagement so we don’t allow Tinubu to become the landlord in the southern part of Nigeria when we have somebody who can defeat him effortlessly.
“We are in the LP as we speak, and that is the option available to accommodate everyone because you cannot sleep in a hostile environment and expect to succeed.”
