Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra state and presidential aspirant of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), says he is not avoiding Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Obi spoke on Friday in Cape Town, South Africa, on the sidelines of the Spier Dialogue 2026, a pan-African governance forum.
“There are very few human beings who are as close as I am to Atiku,” Obi said.
“So I can’t be running from him. This man is my very respected leader and elder brother.”
The former Anambra governor said his political decisions are based on personal conviction and not fear of any politician.
“I don’t run from him. Never,” he said.
“It has nothing to do with running from anybody. I’ve never run from anybody. I just believe that I do things differently.”
Obi’s comments come months after his political alliance with Atiku collapsed.
Both politicians had earlier adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a coalition platform to challenge Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 election.
Obi formally joined the ADC on January 1, 2026, with Atiku describing the move as a major step in coalition-building.
The alliance later broke down after Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso left the party for the NDC.
At the time, Obi said unresolved internal disputes and constant litigation within the ADC distracted the party from addressing national issues.
