The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has said discussions around a possible opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 presidential election should be between political parties rather than individual candidates.
Obi made the statement during an exclusive interview on Arise News on Thursday while responding to questions on whether he would step down for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar if a genuine coalition emerged.
Asked about the possibility of a genuine consensus, Obi said, “A genuine consensus would be within parties.”
He added, “Yes, they come together. Within parties. Not me now.”
Obi stressed that the issue should not be framed as an individual decision between him and Atiku, noting that both politicians are candidates of different political parties.
“It’s no longer me or him. We’re not talking about parties coming together. All those parties have candidates. So it’s a discussion. There is no longer me.”
He likened a possible coalition to the process of two corporations coming together, arguing that such a decision would require broader consultations rather than an agreement between two individuals.
“It’s like a situation where you have two corporations trying to come together. It’s no longer something the two CEOs go have a drink and say, we’re going to work together. They need to look at how do we bring these two corporations together.”
Obi also said decisions within his political platform would not be made by him alone, insisting on collective decision-making.
“Whatever decision that I’m going to take, will be as a result of the decision of all of us. Not just Mr. Peter Obi.”
He further stated, “People must operate within a collegiate system. I respect institutions that I’m coming from.”
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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