LABOUR Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has debunked speculations of a political alliance between him and former President Goodluck Jonathan ahead of the 2027 general elections, describing reports of a pact to unseat President Bola Tinubu as entirely false.
News Point Nigeria reports that Obi’s clarification came through his media aide and National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, who dismissed the claims in an interview on Sunday, insisting that the meeting between the two leaders was purely a “brotherly discussion” about national development and not a political negotiation.
“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 beyond friendship,” Dr. Tanko said.
“And it should not be translated to mean anything other than a platonic discussion on how to move this country forward. 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 clarification followed widespread political speculation triggered by a closed-door meeting between Obi and Jonathan in Abuja last month, an encounter that immediately fuelled rumours of an emerging opposition realignment aimed at challenging President Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
Both men, regarded as key figures in Nigeria’s evolving political landscape, were said to have discussed “the state of the nation,” a phrase Obi used in his official post on X (formerly Twitter) after the meeting. In the post, he described Jonathan as his “elder brother, a statesman, and leader,” while sharing photos of the two smiling and deep in conversation.
However, political analysts and opposition supporters online quickly speculated that the meeting may have been part of an ongoing strategy to form a “mega alliance” between prominent opposition figures, including members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP).
The rumours gained further traction after reports emerged of private consultations between Jonathan and other political heavyweights, with many suggesting a renewed attempt to forge a unified platform against the ruling party.
“The former president and Obi have met several times in the past, both within and outside Nigeria. These meetings are part of consultations on how to reposition the country for progress not a secret pact or electoral strategy,” he said.
The remarks come amid intensifying debate within opposition circles about whether a coalition could emerge to challenge the APC’s dominance in the next election cycle.
Since his strong showing in the 2023 presidential election, where he disrupted Nigeria’s traditional two-party system, Peter Obi has remained active in national discourse, engaging stakeholders and citizens across regions on governance, youth empowerment, and economic reform.
Former President Jonathan, on the other hand, has focused on his role as an African elder statesman, mediating political disputes and promoting democracy in several African countries, including Liberia, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan.
“Our focus right now is the welfare of Nigerians and how to build a better nation, not political deals. 2027 will take care of itself,” Tanko concluded.
