As speculation swirls about a potential opposition alliance to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election, former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has made it clear where his priorities lie: with Nigeria’s suffering masses, not political ambition.
Speaking during a visit to the Anglican Diocese of Kubwa in Abuja on Monday, Obi dismissed reports of a political coalition involving him, Atiku Abubakar, and other opposition leaders. Instead, he underscored his focus on the crises gripping everyday Nigerians.
“The only coalition I am interested in is the one against hunger, poverty, and the bad state of healthcare and education in the country. I am not desperate for any position,” Obi declared.
Obi, who placed third in the 2023 presidential election behind Tinubu and Atiku, has been at the center of speculation about a grand opposition merger for 2027. But he flatly rejected claims that he has agreed to run as a vice-presidential candidate, saying such rumors were rooted in “selfish political ambitions” that do nothing to advance the nation’s progress.
During his visit, Obi also made a financial donation to a school project under the diocese, highlighting the church’s increasing role in education due to what he described as the government’s “woeful failure” to provide free, quality basic education.
“The burden the church carries today is immense because the government has failed its people,” he said.
The former Anambra State governor made headlines over the weekend after being seen exchanging pleasantries with President Tinubu and former Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi at the inauguration Mass of Pope Leo XIV in Vatican City.
Addressing the optics of that encounter, Obi clarified that courtesy should not be mistaken for camaraderie.
“I am not an enemy of the President,” Obi said. “I only showed him the necessary respect in Rome, as protocol demands. My only enemies are corruption and corrupt leaders who have made life unbearable for Nigerians.”
As 2027 looms on the political horizon, Obi’s stance reinforces his brand of issue-based politics—placing national interest above personal ambition, and positioning himself not as a power seeker, but as a conscience-driven advocate for structural reform.
