Former President Jonathan Told to Step Aside for Peter Obi in 2027 Race
- Obidient Movement leader Dr Yunusa Tanko has urged former President Jonathan to back Peter Obi’s 2027 presidential bid
- Tanko said Obi is the most popular opposition figure, attracting interest from multiple parties and strong youth support
- Analysts warn that rival ambitions from Jonathan and Obi could split the opposition and aid the ruling party
The National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Dr Yunusa Tanko, has called on former President Goodluck Jonathan to throw his weight behind Peter Obi’s presidential ambition ahead of the 2027 general election.
Speaking on Trust TV’s Daily Politics, Tanko said Jonathan owed Obi political support, recalling that the former Anambra State governor was the only state leader who stood firmly with him during moves to remove him from office.
Source: Getty Images
According to him, this is the moment for Jonathan to reciprocate that loyalty by rallying support for Obi.
Tanko insists Obi most popular politician
Tanko warned that a small group of political actors, whom he accused of keeping Nigerians in poverty, were attempting to use Jonathan for their own interests. He insisted that Obi remained the most sought-after contender for the 2027 race, attracting overtures from at least eight political parties.
He described Obi as a figure who resonates strongly with young Nigerians and unites diverse opposition groups.
The Obidient leader dismissed fears over political party differences, stating that the focus was on winning the presidency rather than preserving party lines.
He praised Obi’s governance record in Anambra, citing his appointment of 60 percent female commissioners and his willingness to engage in open debates with them.
Tanko also defended Obi’s pledge to serve only one term, saying it reflected a commitment to fairness between North and South.
Obi a better option than Jonathan - Tanko
Amid growing speculation, Tanko’s remarks follow reports that opposition parties are weighing whether to present Obi or Jonathan as a consensus candidate.
Source: Twitter
While some PDP figures, such as former governor Sule Lamido, believe Jonathan would be the party’s strongest option, others like Governor Bala Mohammed and former Minister Jerry Gana have urged Obi’s return to the PDP, describing him as a frontrunner.
Dumebi Kachikwu of the African Democratic Congress recently claimed Jonathan had offered Obi a ministerial role if he withdrew from the race, a suggestion dismissed by Obi’s associate Ibrahim Hussain Abdulkarim.
He said Obi’s political trajectory was moving forward, not backward, and argued that Jonathan should instead support Obi for the sake of change.
Peter Obi beholden to his followers
Political analyst Professor Abubakar Kari of the University of Abuja cautioned that Obi is now deeply tied to the expectations of the Obidient Movement, limiting his political flexibility.
Kari warned that separate ambitions from Jonathan and Obi could fracture the opposition’s base in the South East, South South, and Middle Belt.
He suggested that unless Jonathan is presented as a consensus candidate, his entry into the race could weaken the opposition and benefit the ruling party in 2027.
Obi’s ‘1-term presidency’ triggers pushback
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the one-term presidency pledge by Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election and key member of the opposition coalition, had stirred controversy among northern political stakeholders.
Legit.ng reports that Obi has continued to affirm a one-term presidency of four years if elected president in the 2027 election.
Source: Legit.ng
