Former Anambra State governor Peter Obi has dismissed suggestions that he is distancing himself from former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Obi made the remarks on Friday while speaking in Cape Town, South Africa, during the Spier Dialogue 2026, a forum focused on governance and leadership across Africa.
Responding to speculation about tensions between both politicians, Obi described Atiku as a respected leader and someone with whom he shares a longstanding relationship.
According to him, there is no personal conflict between them, stressing that his political decisions are based on his own approach to governance and strategy rather than an attempt to avoid any individual.
The comments come amid recent political developments involving opposition coalition efforts ahead of the 2027 elections.
Obi and Atiku had earlier aligned under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as part of a broader coalition aimed at challenging President Bola Tinubu in the next presidential contest.
Obi officially joined the ADC in January 2026, a move Atiku publicly welcomed at the time as a significant moment for opposition politics in Nigeria.
However, the alliance later fractured following disagreements within the party. Obi subsequently announced his exit from the ADC, explaining that his decision was not driven by personal differences with Atiku or party chairman David Mark.
Instead, he cited unresolved internal disputes and persistent legal battles within the party, which he said distracted attention from national issues.
Following his departure, Obi and former Kano State governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso moved to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), where they called for an end to what they described as litigation-driven politics.
