Mathew Amaechi
Sources intimately involved in the coalition talks say former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has agreed to serve only one four-year term before handing over to Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 standard-bearer, who is said to be securing the backing of his core loyalists prior to any formal announcement.
Early indications suggest a strategic power-sharing pact is taking shape behind closed doors, as Atiku has reportedly approached Obi to join him as running mate on a single-term ticket ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Atiku and Obi first campaigned together in 2019 under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) banner, only to lose to Muhammadu Buhari’s All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket. According to insiders, the idea of rekindling that alliance emerged during a private meeting in the United Kingdom earlier this year. It was there that Atiku reportedly laid out his vision: a joint ticket in which he leads for four years before ceding the presidency to Obi.
Both the PDP and Labour Party (LP) are currently wrestling with internal upheavals. While Atiku’s PDP struggles with factionalism over its 2027 nominee, Obi’s LP remains embroiled in a leadership battle following a Supreme Court judgment that ended the tenure of national officers accused of overreach. With neither party offering a stable platform, coalition architects are scouting alternatives.
Party faithful report that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is being eyed as the fallback vehicle should negotiations within the PDP or LP collapse.
Sources confirmed quiet meetings between ADC leaders and loyalists from both camps, and noted that several minor party chairmen have already defected to bolster the ADC’s ranks. National Chairman Ralph Nwosu confirmed ongoing discussions with “all critical stakeholders” and teased a major announcement “before the end of the week.”
