2027: Obi supporters dismisses reports linking Obi to VP’s role 

The Obidient Movement has dismissed reports linking the Labour Party (LP) Presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, to an alleged agreement with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to serve as his running mate for the 2027 polls.

The Director of Strategic Communications of the movement, Nana Kazaure, in a statement made public in Abuja on Monday, said the rebuttal became necessary in light of speculations that Mr. Obi had accepted an offer to be the Vice Presidential candidate in a proposed coalition of opposition parties.

Kazaure stated, “The Obidient Movement has been inundated with calls from our members within and outside the country, including other members of the public, regarding a media publication claiming that our principal, Peter Obi, has been offered the running mate position to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the new coalition being formed ahead of 2027.”

She continued, “Even as we know that the publication is imaginary to the author, we are tempted not to ignore it because of the possible far-reaching misconception it will have in the public space.”

Kazaure clarified that while “frank and cordial engagements with our partners and stakeholders towards a coalition continue amicably, the Obidient Movement would like to state emphatically that there is no truth or basis to the reports whatsoever.”

Emphasizing Mr. Obi’s commitment, she noted, “Without any risk of contradiction, we would like to reiterate that Mr. Obi has maintained that his objective and his involvement in a coalition is to provide a united front against and to tackle issues of bad governance, corruption, hunger, poverty, poor healthcare, out-of-school children, and the myriad of other problems daily afflicting the people of Nigeria.”

Kazaure further stated that their political mission is one of “progressive politics that stands firmly with the people and serves the great people of Nigeria, not politics merely for the sake of grabbing power.”

She affirmed, “At this point in time, Mr. Peter Obi remains in the Labour Party, and if ever this changes, he will make that announcement himself.”

The Obidient Movement also urged against “sensationalism and speculation on these matters.” Kazaure concluded by appealing to Nigerians and the media to focus on contributing to building a better country, rather than spreading unverified information.