The camps of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, have dismissed rumours of a joint ticket for the 2027 presidential election.
Speculation arose on social media after photos of Atiku hosting Obi for breakfast at his Adamawa State residence went viral.
Atiku later shared a video of the meeting on his official X account, captioning it, “It is breakfast time with my friend, #PeterObi, in the ‘land of beauty.’”
The video showed the two leaders seated at a dining table, alongside others, preparing to share a meal.
This interaction comes months after Ibrahim Abdullahi, Deputy National Spokesman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), stated during a live political program that leading opposition figures, including Atiku, Obi, and New Nigeria People’s Party leader Rabiu Kwankwaso, were exploring a potential alliance to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress in 2027.
Responding to the viral posts, Atiku’s spokesman, Paul Ibe, clarified that the meeting was simply a reunion of old friends.
“Let us not jump the gun. The fact is that Obi accepted to be the keynote speaker at the 20th anniversary of AUN and the 16th Founder’s Day, which was a milestone. Obi is part of that celebration. The university was founded by Atiku Abubakar, who was more like his host. But people think it is because of politics. We all know our friends. The truth is that politics cannot separate friends,” Ibe explained.
He added that the breakfast was a casual gathering before they proceeded to the event.
Similarly, Obi’s media aide, Ibrahim Umar, dismissed claims that the breakfast meeting hinted at a joint ticket for 2027.
“It’s laughable to imagine that Nigerians would always add a political undertone to every meeting that involves party bigwigs like the duo. No, there was nothing like that. They just invited him (Obi) to deliver a speech there. It has nothing to do with politics. Of course, you know people will always assume things,” Umar said.
Despite the denials, discussions around a possible alliance between the two prominent politicians continue to fuel public interest.