Former Anambra State Governor and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential aspirant, Peter Obi, has dismissed speculations that he is avoiding former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 general elections. 

Obi cleared the air on Friday on the sidelines of the Spier Dialogue 2026, a pan-African governance forum held in Cape Town, South Africa.

"There are very few human beings who are as close as I am to Atiku. So I can’t be running from him," Obi stated. "This man is my very respected leader and elder brother. I don’t run from him. Never. It has nothing to do with running from anybody. I’ve never run from anybody. I just believe that I do things differently."

Context of the Political Alliance

The remarks follow a period of heightened political maneuvering between the two leaders. Initially, Obi and Atiku had adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a unified coalition platform to challenge the incumbent, President Bola Tinubu, in the upcoming 2027 presidential race.

Obi formally aligned with the ADC on January 1, 2026—a move Atiku initially hailed as a landmark milestone for Nigerian political coalition-building.

Shift to the Nigeria Democratic Congress

The alliance proved short-lived due to persistent internal friction. Upon his exit from the ADC, Obi clarified that his departure was not triggered by personal animosity toward Atiku or the party's national chairman, David Mark. Instead, he attributed the decision to unresolved internal conflicts and recurring legal battles that threatened to distract the platform from pressing national issues.

Following their departure from the ADC, Obi and former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso defected to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), citing a shared commitment to move away from litigation-driven politics.