Peter Obi and Atiku rift speculations is false, Former Anambra Governor has stated amid 2027 political realignments.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that Former Anambra State governor and presidential aspirant under the platform of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has dismissed claims that he is avoiding former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
This Nigeria news platform understands that Obi made the clarification on Friday while speaking on the sidelines of the Spier Dialogue 2026 in Cape Town.
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Reacting to speculations surrounding his relationship with Atiku, Obi insisted that the former vice-president remains one of the closest political figures to him.
“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,” Obi said.
“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,” he added.
The comments come amid ongoing political realignments ahead of the 2027 general election, following months of uncertainty over the relationship between both politicians.
Obi and Atiku had earlier adopted the African Democratic Congress as a coalition platform to challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.
Obi officially joined the ADC on January 1, 2026, with Atiku welcoming the move and describing it as a significant moment in opposition coalition-building in Nigeria.
However, the alliance later collapsed after Obi announced his exit from the party, citing unresolved internal crises and persistent legal battles within the ADC.
According to Obi, his decision to leave the coalition platform was not based on personal disagreements with Atiku or the party’s chairman, David Mark, but on concerns that internal litigations were distracting the party from addressing national issues.
Following his departure, Obi and former Kano State governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso later joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress, where both politicians called for an end to litigation-driven politics and greater focus on governance and national development.
