The Obidient Movement has strongly refuted circulating reports suggesting that the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, agreed to serve as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s running mate for the 2027 elections.
The Director of Strategic Communications for the movement, Nana Kazaure, issued a clarifying statement in Abuja on Monday to address what she described as baseless speculation.
Kazaure explained the necessity of the rebuttal: “The Obidient Movement has been inundated with calls from our members within and outside the country, including other members of the public, regarding a media publication claiming that our principal, Peter Obi, has been offered the running mate position to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the new coalition being formed ahead of 2027.” She added, “Even as we know that the publication is imaginary to the author, we are tempted not to ignore it because of the possible far-reaching misconception it will have in the public space.”
While acknowledging ongoing political discussions, Kazaure firmly denied the specific rumor: “Frank and cordial engagements with our partners and stakeholders towards a coalition continue amicably, the Obidient Movement would like to state emphatically that there is no truth or basis to the reports whatsoever.”
The statement outlined Obi’s consistent political focus: “Without any risk of contradiction, we would like to reiterate that Mr. Obi has maintained that his objective and his involvement in a coalition is to provide a united front against and to tackle issues of bad governance, corruption, hunger, poverty, poor healthcare, out-of-school children, and the myriad of other problems daily afflicting the people of Nigeria.”
Kazaure emphasized that their mission represents “progressive politics that stands firmly with the people and serves the great people of Nigeria, not politics merely for the sake of grabbing power.”
Regarding party affiliation, Kazaure clarified: “At this point in time, Mr. Peter Obi remains in the Labour Party, and if ever this changes, he will make that announcement himself.”
The movement cautioned against “sensationalism and speculation on these matters,” with Kazaure concluding by urging Nigerians and media outlets to concentrate on nation-building rather than disseminating unverified claims.