Is It True That Peter Obi Has Stepped Down From 2027 Race? Fact Emerges
- A Threads user claimed Peter Obi withdrew from the 2027 presidential race and endorsed Seyi Makinde as a candidate of the APM
- The claim used a video from Arise News showing Obi speaking at the inauguration of Makinde's presidential campaign office in Abuja
- Fact-checkers at DUBAWA traced the video to a September 7, 2026 event and found that Obi's words were given a misleading context
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A claim circulating on Threads alleged that Peter Obi had stepped down from the 2027 presidential race and thrown his support behind Seyi Makinde, who was described in the post as an All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate. Similar posts appeared in multiple places across social media.
The posts used footage from Arise News showing Obi speaking at the inauguration of Makinde's presidential campaign office in Abuja on September 7, 2026.
Source: Twitter
What Obi actually said at the event
At the event, Obi acknowledged Makinde's presidential bid and said: "We have a candidate who is contesting the presidency today: my dear brother Seyi Makinde. Is he qualified to be president? Yes."
Channels Television, reporting from the same event, noted that Obi urged Nigerians to make their own choices freely and called on opposition politicians to set aside their differences. Vanguard similarly reported that Obi said whoever wins through a free, fair and credible election should receive the support of fellow political leaders. Neither account included any suggestion that Obi was withdrawing from the race.
Evidence that Obi remains in the race
Fact-checking organisation DUBAWA found multiple pieces of evidence showing Obi had not stepped aside. On September 8, Channels Television continued to identify him as the NDC presidential candidate. On September 9, Obi posted on his official X account that he was in Benue State for his own campaign activities ahead of the 2027 election. His X biography also lists him as "NDC Presidential Candidate, 2027."
On September 10, Arise News interviewed Obi about the possibility of a political coalition, to which he replied: "I have a party behind my candidacy." That same day, Premium Times reported that Obi was discussing the policies he intended to retain if elected president in 2027.
DUBAWA reviewed Obi's official X account and found no post announcing a withdrawal. The account showed only ongoing campaign activity.
The claim is misleading. Obi's attendance at Makinde's campaign-office inauguration and his comment that Makinde is qualified to be president do not amount to a withdrawal from the 2027 presidential race. All available evidence from the days before and after the event shows Obi actively campaigning as the NDC presidential candidate.
It is worth noting that Makinde is a candidate of the Allied People's Movement (APM), not the APC as the viral posts claimed, adding another layer of inaccuracy to the original claim.
Source: Twitter
2027 election: Anambra pastor predicts Obi's fate
Legit.ng earlier reported that an Anambra-based bishop predicted that the NDC would disqualify Peter Obi as its 2027 presidential flagbearer.
Bishop Patrick Osaji made the claim in a video that has been circulating on social media.
The cleric said Obi would spend the period leading up to the 2027 election in court fighting the party's decision.
Source: Legit.ng
