candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, has reaffirmed his ambition to contest the 2027 presidential election, debunking speculation that he may team up with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as a running mate.Speaking on Sunday Politics, a Channels TV programme, Obi dismissed suggestions that he was considering a vice-presidential slot under Atiku or any other candidate.
I’m going to contest for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and I believe I am qualified for it,” Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, said on Sunday Politics programme.When asked whether he was considering becoming the running mate to Atiku, in the 2027 election, Obi said, “This is not in play; nobody has ever discussed that.
People assume so many things. Nobody has ever discussed with me whether I am going to be A or B or C.
”The former Anambra State governor stressed that he remain a vibrant member of the Labour Party though he is an active member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition adopted by the opposition to unseat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who is eyeing a second term of four years in office in 2027.“I am part of the coalition which will be able to produce a president with the capacity and compassion to save this country,” he said.Obi also clarified that the coalition of opposition parties, which recently adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its platform ahead of 2027, was not a departure from the Labour Party, nor was it an act of disloyalty.
“There is nothing anti-party in the decision,” he explained. “We are not abandoning where we are. We are going there together. What is constant is that we have agreed to work together.”On his association with some political figures regarded by critics as controversial or having baggage, Obi argued that inclusive leadership was essential to national progress.
“The job of a leader is to change,” he said. “You need everybody. If you want to serve, you must serve everybody.
”The former Anambra governor also took a swipe at the Bola Tinubu-led administration, criticising its handling of governance and promising to offer a more disciplined and competent leadership if elected.“We’re going to ensure that we remove Tinubu’s government by all lawful means,” he said. “I will govern within the law, I will bring civility to Nigeria, and I will appoint competent people into office. I will not be Minister of Petroleum.”
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