A prominent Nigerian journalist and political figure, Dele Momodu, has dismissed growing speculation suggesting that former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, may withdraw from the 2027 presidential race in favour of former Anambra State Governor, Mr Peter Obi.
Momodu, who is a former presidential aspirant and a close political ally of Atiku Abubakar, made the position clear on Thursday, arguing that there was no justification for Atiku to abandon his presidential ambition ahead of the next general election.
Atiku Abubakar, who served as Nigeria’s Vice President from 1999 to 2007 under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, was the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party during Nigeria’s 2023 general election. In November 2025, he formally resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party and joined the African Democratic Congress, a move widely interpreted by political analysts as a calculated effort to secure the party’s presidential ticket for the 2027 election.
Okay News reports that the political landscape shifted further last week when Mr Peter Obi, a former Governor of Anambra State in south-eastern Nigeria and the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, also defected to the African Democratic Congress. Obi had secured more than six million votes in the 2023 polls, finishing behind Atiku Abubakar and the eventual winner, Nigeria’s current President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The development has fueled widespread speculation about a possible opposition alliance aimed at challenging President Tinubu’s bid for re-election in 2027. Some political observers suggested that Obi could emerge as Atiku’s running mate, a claim that drew sharp reactions from supporters of the former Anambra governor.
Senior members of Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress, including Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, openly mocked the idea of Obi’s defection, suggesting he might settle for a vice-presidential role. However, key Obi loyalists rejected the notion outright.
Notable figures such as Nigerian political economist, Professor Pat Utomi, and civil rights activist, Ms Aisha Yesufu, warned that they would withdraw their support should Obi agree to serve as a vice-presidential candidate under Atiku Abubakar.
Amid the rising speculation, Momodu firmly ruled out any plan for Atiku to step aside. Speaking during an exclusive interview in Abuja, Nigeria’s federal capital territory, he said, “Several people have asked me to advise former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to voluntarily withdraw from the 2027 presidential race.
“When I ask them why, they say he is too old. Not that they know of any fatality awaiting him. Not that he is less healthy than President Bola Tinubu.
“Out of unsubstantiated malice and prejudice, Tinubu can and should contest, but Atiku can’t and shouldn’t contest.”
The publisher of Ovation International magazine added that persistent attempts to undermine Atiku’s ambition had become a recurring theme in Nigeria’s political discourse.
Momodu further defended Atiku’s political credentials, questioning the logic behind calls for him to abandon the race. He said, “I read somewhere that the best of us shouldn’t play second fiddle to the worst of us. With all due respect, who or what determines the worst of us? Is it because Atiku is well-educated and more articulate than most of his contemporaries and political rivals?
“Is it that his legendary character and successes in business, academia, technology, philanthropy, and his contributions to deepening democracy and the rule of law are his cardinal sins?
“He’s certainly not a saint, but he towers above most of his peers by not being a parasite feeding on the state since he left power in 2007.
“Asking our most experienced and cosmopolitan aspirant to sacrifice his credentials on the altar of raw emotion and primordial sentiments is a monumental tragedy.”
Meanwhile, former Nigerian lawmaker and human rights activist, Senator Shehu Sani, also weighed in on the debate. Writing on his verified social media account on X, formerly known as Twitter, Sani cautioned Nigerians against taking politicians’ public statements at face value.
He wrote, “When politicians say they will not withdraw or they will not accept being deputy, never think that is their final word. They can change their minds by starting with a phrase like, ‘In the national interest, I have decided to…’”
Behind the scenes, political insiders say discussions are ongoing between Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, as opposition figures explore the possibility of presenting a united front capable of dislodging the All Progressives Congress from power in 2027.
Both politicians reportedly share a common objective of ending the ruling party’s dominance, following what many critics described as a fragmented opposition effort in the 2023 election.
Their recent defections to the African Democratic Congress are widely viewed as concrete evidence that negotiations among opposition leaders, elder statesmen, and civil society actors are gaining momentum.
However, unresolved questions remain over zoning arrangements, power rotation, and who should ultimately fly the party’s presidential flag. Political observers note that with Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi all expressing interest, the African Democratic Congress is heading toward a fiercely contested presidential primary later this year.
