Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has firmly denied speculation about a political alliance with former President Goodluck Jonathan for the 2027 general elections.
Dr Yunusa Tanko, Obi’s media aide and National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, made the clarification during an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, dismissing claims that the two politicians have formed a pact to unseat President Bola Tinubu.
The denial follows heightened political tension triggered by a recent closed-door meeting between the former Anambra governor and Jonathan in Abuja, which sparked widespread rumours of opposition realignment.
“My principal and the former president have a very good working relationship and they know each other very well. So seeing them talk to each other does not mean anything. And it should not be translated to mean anything other than a platonic discussion on how to move this country forward,” Tanko stated.
He added: “But I don’t think there’s anything more than that. No discussion or pact around 2027. Even when they met in Ghana, I was there. So there was nothing like that.”
The statement comes as the opposition bloc faces mounting pressure to form a consensus strategy to challenge Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress in the next presidential election.
Social media has become a battleground for supporters of both politicians, with heated debates urging either Obi or Jonathan to step aside for the other in what many view as a crucial test of opposition unity.
On 11 September, Obi met with Jonathan in Abuja and later described him on his official X handle as his “elder brother, a statesman, and leader.” The Labour Party flagbearer said their meeting was “fruitful” and centred on the state of the nation.
Neither politician disclosed specific details of their conversation, though the meeting occurred amid growing criticism of Tinubu’s administration and widespread uncertainty over Nigeria’s economic direction.
Jonathan, who served as Nigeria’s president from 2010 to 2015, has increasingly positioned himself as an African statesman in recent years, mediating political crises and promoting democracy across the continent.
