FORMER Governor of Anambra State and presidential aspirant under the platform of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has dismissed suggestions that he is avoiding former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
News Point Nigeria reports that Obi made the clarification on Friday while speaking in Cape Town, South Africa, on the sidelines of the Spier Dialogue 2026, a pan-African governance forum.
The former Labour Party presidential candidate insisted that his relationship with Atiku remains cordial and respectful despite recent political developments involving both leaders.
“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.”
Obi’s comments come amid growing political speculation following months of tension surrounding his political relationship with Atiku ahead of the 2027 general election.
Both politicians had earlier adopted the African Democratic Congress as a coalition platform aimed at challenging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the next presidential election.
Obi formally joined the ADC on January 1, 2026, with Atiku publicly welcoming him and describing the move as a significant moment in coalition-building within Nigeria’s opposition politics.
However, the alliance later collapsed following disagreements within the party.
Explaining his exit from the ADC, Obi had stated that his decision was not connected to personal issues with Atiku or the party’s chairman, David Mark.
According to him, unresolved internal conflicts and recurring legal disputes within the party had distracted attention from national issues and weakened the coalition’s focus.
Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso later defected to the Nigeria Democratic Congress, where both politicians called for an end to what they described as litigation-driven politics in the country.
The latest remarks by Obi are expected to further fuel discussions about possible political alignments and opposition strategies ahead of the 2027 presidential election.