By Ghazali Ibrahim 
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is reported to have offered ex-Anambra State governor and 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, a vice-presidential slot in a joint one-term ticket.
Multiple sources involved in the ongoing coalition talks told The PUNCH that Atiku and Obi held a private meeting earlier this year in the United Kingdom, during which the proposal was first made.
According to insiders, Atiku pledged to serve a single four-year term and hand over to Obi, a move aimed at uniting Nigeria’s fragmented opposition to unseat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Obi has agreed in principle to the offer,” said one of the sources.
“Atiku is prepared to sign a written agreement committing to just one term, and Obi is currently consulting his loyalists before any public announcement.”
The 2023 presidential elections saw Obi emerge as a formidable third-force candidate, finishing behind Tinubu and Atiku but ahead in several urban and youth-dominated constituencies.
Political analysts see a potential Atiku-Obi alliance as a serious challenge to APC dominance, especially if they can present a united platform and overcome internal crises within the PDP and LP.
In March, Atiku and Obi appeared in public with former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and other political figures, unveiling a proposed coalition to contest the 2027 polls.
While the announcement stirred excitement among opposition supporters, concrete steps toward formalizing the alliance have been slow, with both PDP and LP embroiled in internal wrangling.
A source revealed that discussions are underway about moving to a new political platform, likely the African Democratic Congress (ADC), if reconciliation efforts within PDP and LP fail.
“Some of their supporters have quietly joined ADC,” the source added.
“Meetings have been ongoing with the ADC leadership.”
Confirming the momentum, ADC National Chairman Ralph Nwosu said, “We have spoken with all critical stakeholders, including members of the ruling party. We are working to build a mega African political party that will bring real change. An important announcement will be made before the end of the week.”
When asked to comment on the agreement between Atiku and Obi, Atiku’s media aide, Paul Ibe, was cautious.
“I can’t speak on any specific deal,” he said.
“What I know is that both men are committed to building a viable coalition to unseat the clueless APC government in 2027.”
Meanwhile, the Obedient Movement, which supported Obi’s 2023 campaign, has shown signs of internal division over the proposed alliance.
The movement’s National Coordinator, Yunusa Tanko, denied knowledge of any such arrangement.
“He hasn’t told me anything about this,” he said.
“As far as I’m concerned, this is not on the table right now.”
Similarly, Peter Ahmeh, a loyalist of Obi and National Secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties, declined to confirm the one-term deal.
“No comment until I speak with my oga,” he said, while insisting that the Labour Party remains the preferred political platform “for now.”
The proposal, however, is facing resistance from within the PDP.
Diran Odeyemi, a member of the party’s National Executive Committee, criticized Atiku’s repeated presidential bids, saying, “He is not Abraham Lincoln. His time has passed. If he’s offering Obi a VP slot, then he must also have his cabinet already penciled down.”
Nevertheless, northern political leaders appear more open to the arrangement.
Anthony Sani, a chieftain of the Arewa Consultative Forum, said, “There’s nothing strange in Atiku and Obi working together again. Whether it will be successful this time remains to be seen, especially with APC’s growing influence in the South-South and the strength of its Northwest-Southwest alliance.”
