The Labour Party has dismissed growing speculation that its 2027 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, could withdraw in favour of any political coalition or rival aspirant, describing such a move as a “betrayal of the hope of millions of Nigerians seeking genuine change.”
Speaking amid renewed debate over possible opposition alignments ahead of the next general election, the party’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, Tony Akeni, said any attempt to pressure Obi into stepping down would “take away 90 per cent of the hope of Nigerians for redemption and a new beginning.”
Akeni, who spoke in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, stressed that neither Obi nor the Obidient Movement had any plans to back down. “Our motto is forward ever, backwards never,” he said. “There is no substitute for the ideology of the Labour Party. We are going head-on for the presidency if the right decision is not taken by the coalition.”
He also made a direct appeal to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to “prove his love for the country by doing the right thing and giving Peter Obi a chance in 2027.”
“Let Atiku think of what is best for his epitaph,” Akeni added. “Would he like to be remembered as the man who sacrificed Nigeria for his ambition and didn’t get it, or as the man who sacrificed his ambition for Nigeria and led the country back from the cliff?”
According to him, the so-called “AGOBI’27” initiative—short for Atiku Givus Obi 2027—was launched by stakeholders seeking to persuade Atiku to support Obi as a unifying opposition candidate.
The Labour Party’s position was echoed by the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Dr Yunusa Tanko, who reiterated that the 2027 presidency should remain in the South in line with Nigeria’s informal rotational power arrangement.
“The democracy we practise recognises rotation between the North and the South,” Tanko said. “As we speak today, it is still the turn of the South. If you want to change a southern candidate, you can only replace him with another southern candidate.”
He warned that any attempt to return power to the North in 2027 “will create a break in the unity of this country,” urging opposition parties to rally around a “southern candidate acceptable to all.”
Tanko maintained that the movement’s support for Obi remained firm and unconditional. “Peter Obi is the best product to present to the Nigerian political circle,” he said. “We believe he has the quality, capacity, ability, character, and compassion to make things work. Wherever Mr Peter Obi goes, we will go too.”
The remarks follow recent clarification from Atiku Abubakar, who denied reports that he planned to step aside ahead of 2027. In a statement by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, Atiku said his comments in a BBC Hausa interview had been distorted, clarifying that he only pledged to support a younger candidate if such a person emerged through a fair primary.
“What Atiku Abubakar clearly said was that young people, as well as other prospective presidential aspirants, are free to enter the contest,” Ibe stated.
The former vice president told the BBC Hausa Service: “If I run for office and a young man defeats me, I will accept that. The party we have joined now prioritises youth and women.”
Despite his clarification, speculation continues to swirl around a possible alliance between Atiku and Obi, who both contested separately in the 2023 election. Opposition leaders are said to be exploring ways to avoid a repeat of the last election, where multiple opposition candidates split votes — a division analysts say helped secure President Bola Tinubu’s victory.
While both Atiku and Obi remain at the centre of the alliance discussions, neither camp has formally committed to a joint ticket.
