By Omoyeni Ojeifo
The presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has ruled out a personal agreement with former Vice President and ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar over the 2027 contest.
Obi made the position known in an Interview on ARISE TV, monitored by PerSecondNews on Thursday, while responding to questions on the proposed opposition coalition and his relationship with Atiku ahead of the national election.
“We are both candidates of different political parties. I believe that if there is a coalition, it is the political parties that will sit down and determine how the coalition will work,” he said.
On the possibility of a joint ticket with Atiku, the NDC candidate said no discussion had taken place between them on the issue.
“I have not discussed with Atiku. I have not had any discussion with Atiku on that. And I don’t think it is something that Atiku and I will sit down and decide.”
The NDC candidate noted that the parties, rather than individual candidates, would determine how the opposition coalition would be structured ahead of the 2027 poll.
“It is the political parties that will determine it. I cannot say that I will be Atiku’s running mate because that is not my decision to make,” he stated.
Obi also refused to commit himself to stepping down for Atiku, arguing that both men remained presidential candidates of separate political parties and that the coalition process had yet to determine its structure.
“I am a candidate. Atiku is a candidate. We are both candidates of different political parties. So, let the political parties sit down and determine what happens,” he stressed.
On his own ambition, Obi said he would accept the outcome of the 2027 presidential election if the process was free, fair and credible, insisting that democracy required respect for the voters’ decision.
“If the election is free, fair, and credible, I win, and I’ll respect the will of the people. That’s democracy,” he declared.
He said his administration, if elected, would focus first on security, promising to appoint competent heads of security agencies and personally visit troubled areas instead of managing insecurity from Abuja.
“Security will be my first priority. I will appoint competent people to head the security agencies, and I will personally go to where the problems are,” he said.
Obi backed the establishment of state police and rejected ransom payments to kidnappers, arguing that government should secure the country and prevent citizens from being abducted in the first place.
“Why are you paying ransom? The first thing is to secure the country so that kidnapping does not happen. With satellite surveillance and decisive action, we can deal with these things,” he noted.
The NDC candidate also pledged to serve only one term if elected in 2027, saying his priority would be to reverse Nigeria’s current direction and leave office after completing his first term in 2031.
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