According to a report by Daily Independent, the Obidient Movement has dismissed claims that it has been reaching out to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar through emissaries in an attempt to convince him to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race in favour of Peter Obi.
The clarification came after Demola Olanrewaju, a Special Assistant to Atiku Abubakar, alleged that representatives of Peter Obi had approached his principal with a request to step aside and allow Obi to contest the presidential election without opposition from him.
Olanrewaju’s claim generated reactions within political circles, particularly among supporters of the two politicians, as both Atiku and Obi are associated with opposition efforts ahead of the 2027 general election.
However, in an interview with Daily Independent, the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Dr Yunusa Tanko, rejected the allegation and stated that the movement had not appointed or sent anybody to Atiku to ask him to withdraw from the presidential contest.
He said, “I saw an article which says Atiku’s people that were asking him to step down for Peter Obi. We have never sent anybody anywhere to go and beg,”
Tanko explained that the position of the Obidient Movement was not based on any attempt to force Atiku out of the presidential race.
He said the group had consistently advocated for the presidency to return to the southern part of the country in 2027.
According to him, supporting a southern candidate would help address concerns about fairness and maintain a sense of political balance between the northern and southern regions of Nigeria.
He maintained that the arrangement being advocated by the movement would allow a southerner to occupy the presidency for the remaining four years of the current political cycle, from 2027 to 2031.
He added that power could then return to the North after the completion of that period.
Tanko said the position was aimed at promoting national unity and ensuring that neither of the two major regions would feel excluded from the country’s political leadership.
The Obidient Movement coordinator also clarified that its position on the 2027 presidency should not be interpreted as hostility towards Atiku.
He stressed that the former vice-president remained highly respected by Peter Obi and members of the movement.
Tanko said Obi personally holds Atiku in high regard, adding that the movement shares the same level of respect for the former vice-president.
The statement from the Obidient Movement therefore sought to separate its advocacy for southern presidency from the allegation that it was secretly negotiating with Atiku to withdraw from the 2027 presidential contest.
Tanko’s comments also reaffirmed that the movement’s position was centered on regional balance, fairness and national unity rather than an attempt to undermine Atiku’s political ambition.
He maintained that while the group supports Peter Obi, it has not approached Atiku or his representatives with any request for him to abandon his presidential ambition.
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