By Muhammad Mamman
Key political allies of former Nigerian vice president Atiku Abubakar are reportedly making moves to draft Labour Party’s Peter Obi as a possible running mate ahead of the 2027 presidential election, according to a report by PoliticsNGR.
The discussions, described as “early but strategic,” are said to be driven by concerns within Atiku’s camp over the need for a stronger electoral coalition capable of challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the next general election.
Political insiders quoted by PoliticsNGR say some senior figures in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) believe a joint ticket with Obi — who secured significant support among young voters in the 2023 race — could reshape the opposition landscape.
Neither Atiku nor Obi has publicly commented on the reported approach. Analysts note, however, that forming such an alliance would require navigating complex party loyalties, ideological differences, and the unresolved grievances that followed the 2023 elections, in which both men ran against each other.
Despite the uncertainty, the speculation highlights intensifying political maneuvering in Nigeria nearly two years before official campaigning begins.
For now, observers say much will depend on internal negotiations within the PDP and whether Obi, who has cultivated a reformist, anti-establishment image, is willing to enter another coalition involving the country’s traditional political heavyweights.
