Nigeria: What Does Atiku’s Reported VP Offer Mean for Peter Obi’s Ambition?

The report about former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, offering Peter Obi a vice presidential role in a joint ticket for the 2027 presidential contest has triggered a barrage of speculations.

If the report is anything to go by, Atiku’s offer portends a significant move that could rejig opposition dynamics, especially among the youth population that seeks an alternative to the current system.

While neither Atiku nor Obi has confirmed the reported offer, reports suggest that Atiku, who will be over 80 by 2027, is considering a single-term presidency with Obi serving as vice president and succeeding him after four years.

This purported development is a crucial political bargain that raises questions about Obi’s ambition, the future of his youth-driven political movement, and the evolution of opposition strategy in Nigeria.

The Atiku-Obi partnership

Atiku and Obi are political allies. In 2019, they ran on a joint ticket on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, with Atiku as presidential candidate and Obi as his running mate. Their loss to President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election bid marked the end of that alliance.

In the 2023 elections, they contested as separate presidential candidates, with Atiku representing the PDP and Obi under the Labour Party, LP.

While both lost to the APC, Obi’s performance shocked the political establishment. He finished third but defeated Atiku and the APC’s Bola Tinubu in many states, including Lagos and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

However, as 2027 approaches, Atiku has been calling for a renewed alliance. Obi commands a loyal, energetic base, comprising young Nigerians and the middle class. Aligning with him could enhance Atiku’s credibility and chances. With Tinubu likely to seek re-election and the APC still a dominant force, an Atiku-Obi ticket may be the only viable opposition path to Aso Rock.

But what’s in it for Obi?

Obi’s dilemma

For many reasons, the former governor of Anambra State will find it challenging to accept Atiku’s purported offer.

To his supporters, Obi represents a generational change and political integrity. His campaign in 2023 ran on the promise of breaking free from the establishment — the establishment Atiku belongs to and represents in many ways. Aligning with Atiku for the coming election, even with a promise of succession, could be seen as ideological backsliding.

Obi has repeatedly maintained that his ambition is not simply to gain power, but to do so with credibility, purpose, and a mandate rooted in reform.

After defeating Atiku in many states in 2023, accepting a VP slot from him could be seen as political regression. It could demotivate his most vocal supporters, particularly those who view Atiku as emblematic of the old political order that Obi vowed to challenge.

Moreover, the purported promise of a single-term handover, allegedly offered by Atiku, is not legally binding.

Obidients react

Obi’s followers, many of whom belong to Nigeria’s growing demographic of politically active youth, have officially rejected the idea of him deputising Atiku in 2027.

In a statement on Monday, May 19, the Obidient Movement said the reports linking their principal to any VP deal with Atiku are untrue.

A former governorship candidate in Lagos, Babatunde Gbadamosi, one of Obi’s ardent followers, has emphatically declared his position.

“I will not support any ticket where @PeterObi is not the presidential candidate and Datti Baba-Ahmed is not the vice presidential candidate,” he stated.

Obidients’ reactions underscore their resolve about Nigeria’s politics. They are not just interested in defeating the APC; they want a different kind of transparent and inclusive politics.

Atiku’s final shot at the presidency?

For Atiku, the offer signifies both strategic foresight and political desperation. Having contested for president six times and failed, the ex-vice president knows that 2027 may be his last realistic chance.

While his political capital within the PDP remains significant, the party has been weakened by the internal crisis that followed its 2023 loss.

A successful deal between Atiku and Obi could reinvigorate the former’s appeal and present a united front capable of challenging Tinubu’s incumbency.

However, the success of the deal is dependent on whether Obi is willing to risk his political identity and autonomy for a vice presidential slot that might — or might not — lead to greater power later.

What does this mean for Obi?

For Obi, the purported arrangement means he is at a crossroads.

Accepting Atiku’s offer could earn him short-term political power, but at the cost of long-term credibility. Rejecting it could isolate him from mainstream coalition politics but strengthen his image as a non-establishment member.

The decision will likely hinge on how Obi views his path to the presidency. It’s either he achieves it through grassroots momentum and ideological purity or through compromise and strategic alignment.

For now, the alliance remains speculative, and until Obi officially takes a definite stand, no one can tell what the 2027 election build-up has in store for Obi and Atiku.

By Vanguard.