Peter Obi has rejected claims suggesting he is distancing himself from former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as political discussions ahead of the 2027 presidential election continue.
The former Anambra State governor made the remarks on Friday while attending the Spier Dialogue 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa. The event is a pan-African governance forum that brought together political and policy stakeholders from across the continent.
Addressing speculation about his relationship with Atiku, Obi said there was no truth to suggestions that he had been avoiding the former vice-president.
“There are very few human beings who are as close as I am to Atiku. So I can’t be running from him. This man is my very respected leader and elder brother,” Obi stated.
He further added, “I don’t run from him. Never. It has nothing to do with running from anybody. I’ve never run from anybody. I just believe that I do things differently.”
The comments come months after both politicians explored a coalition arrangement ahead of the 2027 elections through the African Democratic Congress.
Obi officially became part of the ADC on January 1, 2026, a move Atiku had described at the time as an important development in efforts to unite opposition figures against President Bola Tinubu.
The coalition effort, however, later broke down following internal disagreements and legal challenges within the party.
Obi eventually exited the ADC alongside Rabiu Kwankwaso and joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress, maintaining that Nigeria should move away from litigation-driven politics.
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