The national coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, has revealed that at least seven political parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP) and African Democratic Congress (ADC), are actively reaching out to Peter Obi in a bid to secure him as their presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
Speaking during an interview on AIT’s political affairs programme, Focus, Tanko confirmed that while Obi remains a committed member of the Labour Party, he is also one of the leading voices within a growing coalition of opposition figures seeking to challenge the ruling party in 2027.
Tanko was emphatic about Obi’s popularity and influence:
“One thing you must know is that the most popular presidential candidate in Nigeria and indeed for Nigerian interest across the world is Peter Obi, there is no doubt about it,” he said.
He clarified that the Obidient Movement is politically independent, even though it backs Obi, and is not formally tied to any one party.
While he confirmed PDP and ADC as among the parties in talks with Obi, Tanko declined to name the remaining five parties, explaining that doing so could jeopardise their interests.
“This government is very good in creating problems in every political party that Peter Obi’s name has come up,” Tanko alleged.
“Anywhere the name Peter Obi rings a bell, that is where they are interested in making sure that he doesn’t win. It is ‘Operation do not allow Peter Obi have a ticket’.”
Tanko accused the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration of deliberately stirring internal conflicts within opposition parties as a strategy to weaken any credible challenge in the upcoming elections.
Despite these alleged efforts, he expressed strong optimism about Obi’s prospects.
“This time around we have a presidential candidate that is alive, popular, requested, and needed by Nigerian youths who have not been so much into politics before but now are interested. We must give them that opportunity,” he said.
He likened Obi’s situation to that of the late MKO Abiola, whose 1993 presidential mandate was famously annulled despite widespread support, and stressed that this time, the system must not fail the people.
“We want to avoid a repeat of the 1993 scenario,” he added.
