2027 Election: Atiku Told to Step Aside for Peter Obi, "Greatest Sacrifice"

• A former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has been urged to shelve his presidential ambition and support Peter Obi to secure the 2027 presidential ticket of the ADC
• The call was made by members of a pro-Obi group in Umuahia on Saturday, July 19, following their mega rally held in celebration of Obi’s 64th birthday
• The rally, dubbed the ‘One Million Man-March for Obi’, was held simultaneously in Umuahia, Aba, Ohafia, and Uzuakoli

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering elections, politics, and governance in Nigeria.

Umuahia, Abia state - Supporters of Peter Obi, presidential candidate of LP in the 2023 election, in Abia state, have urged former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to shelve his speculated presidential ambition in the 2027 election.

As reported by Vanguard, the supporters of Obi, popularly known as 'Obidients', threw their weight behind the former Anambra state governor to pick the presidential ticket of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

They made the appeal during their mega rallies on Saturday, July 19, to mark Obi’s 64 birthday.

Guardian also noted the development.

The peaceful rally dubbed ‘one million man-march for Obi’ held simultaneously in Umuahia, the state capital, Aba, the commercial nerve centre, Ohafia, and Uzuakoli towns respectively.

Peter Obi gets key support over Atiku

Addressing newsmen in Umuahia, Abia state, chairman of the organising committee and one of the coordinators of the Obidients in the state, Chibuzor Obiesili, appealed to Atiku to sacrifice his presidential ambition in support of Obi, who has the quick fix to Nigeria’s challenges.

Obiesili acknowledged the efforts and contributions of the former Vice President to move Nigeria forward, but strongly appealed to him to take the back seat and support Obi’s presidential bid. He commended Atiku and other opposition figures for forming the coalition against President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid, but advised the coalition to cede its presidential ticket to the South.

Obiesili said:

“We thank those behind the formation of the coalition. But we appeal that the coalition should consider Obi for its presidential ticket because he has the national appeal needed to uproot the ruling APC.

“We plead with Atiku to please step aside for Obi. Atiku has tried his best for Nigeria, but his greatest sacrifice and gift to Nigeria will be to support Obi get the ADC presidential ticket in 2027 so that Nigeria can move forward. Nigeria needs an Obi for a quick fix, and in the interest of all. He has what is needed to pull Nigeria out of the woods.”

Don’t accept to be Atiku’s running mate, ex-ADC candidate warns Obi

In the same vein, a former presidential candidate of the ADC, Dumebi Kachikwu, has warned Obi against succumbing to pressure to run a joint ticket with Atiku ahead of the 2027 election.

Kachikwu gave the warning at a press conference held recently in Abuja.

The politician described any such alliance as unjust and politically immoral, especially in light of Nigeria’s power rotation dynamics.

He said:

“It is morally right for anybody from a major party running for 2027 to be from the South. It is equitable. That is all we ask."

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• Peter Obi visits Buhari's family in Daura after backlash, explains absence at funeral

Peter Obi under fire

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the South-South Emerging Leaders' Forum (Self) accused Obi of threatening the recently-formed coalition under the platform of the ADC.

In a statement signed by its national coordinator, Benjamin Kolowei, and sent to Legit.ng, Self asked the influential opposition leader to stop the alleged threat.

The forum also claimed that it has reliable information that Obi will eventually dump the coalition like he did before the presidential primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2022.

Source: Legit.ng