2027 Election: ‘Obi Has Accepted To Become VP Candidate,’ Tinubu’s Spokesman Claims
Abuja, Nigeria — Sunday, 15 June 2025 | 11:20 AM (WAT)
In what could spark a major political realignment ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, a spokesman for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has claimed that Mr. Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate and former governor of Anambra State, has “accepted” to run as a vice-presidential candidate in the next election.
The claim was made during a live television interview on Saturday evening, where Chief Tunde Alake, a senior special adviser to President Tinubu, stated that “private talks” had been ongoing between key figures in the political landscape, suggesting that Obi may be open to a coalition arrangement aimed at national unity.
“What many Nigerians don’t know is that Peter Obi has already agreed in principle to work as a vice-presidential candidate in 2027. Conversations are happening behind the scenes, and national interest is driving these discussions,” Alake said on Channels Politics Today.
However, the claim has been swiftly dismissed by individuals close to Peter Obi, who insist that the former Labour Party candidate remains fully committed to his presidential ambition and has not entered into any alliance talks with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) or any other political entity.
Speaking on Sunday morning, Labour Party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, described the statement as “pure propaganda and a deliberate attempt to mislead Nigerians.”
“Peter Obi has not at any time considered stepping down his ambition or taking a back seat. The claim is false, misleading, and part of a calculated strategy to sow confusion within the opposition,” Ifoh said.
Peter Obi, who ran under the Labour Party in the 2023 elections and came third in the official results behind Atiku Abubakar and Bola Tinubu, was widely praised for mobilizing the youth vote and creating an unexpected political movement across Nigeria, dubbed the Obedient Movement.
Since then, speculation has surrounded his political future—whether he would seek to run again or align with other forces to unseat the incumbent. The recent remarks by Tinubu’s aide have added fuel to that speculation.
Political observers are divided over the authenticity and implications of the claim.
Dr. Ibrahim Musa, a political scientist at the University of Abuja, said:
“If true, this would be one of the biggest shifts in Nigerian politics since 1999. But it sounds unlikely given the ideological differences and the passion behind Obi’s base.”
Others believe the statement may be a strategic move to weaken opposition momentum by creating division within the Labour Party and its support base.
As of the time of filing this report, there has been no official statement from Peter Obi himself regarding the claim. Meanwhile, social media has been buzzing with reactions, with the hashtag #ObiVP2027 trending on Twitter as Nigerians debate the possibility and implications.
- Do you believe Peter Obi should accept a VP slot in 2027 for the sake of national unity?
- Is this claim part of a political strategy to destabilize opposition parties?
- Would a Tinubu-Obi or APC-Labour coalition be realistic or desirable
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