Okoi Obono-Obla, former Special Adviser on Public Prosecution to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, has expressed doubts about Peter Obi’s supporters accepting a potential running mate role for him alongside Atiku Abubakar in the 2027 elections, should a coalition or merger between their political camps succeed.
During an interview with Trust TV, Obono-Obla pointed out that Peter Obi’s supporters are unlikely to support Obi playing a secondary role as a vice-presidential candidate again, even though he held that position under Atiku in 2019.
He stated that Obi has presidential ambitions and hails from the South East, a region that has never produced a Nigerian president. He noted that Obi’s supporters are strongly motivated by the desire to see someone from the South East occupy the presidency.
Obono-Obla further highlighted that the political circumstances of 2019 were different from those in 2023 and that the dynamics influencing the 2027 elections will likewise be unique.
He said, “Peter Obi has ambition, he is from the South East. There’s this clamour for people of the South East. Nobody from the South East has been president of Nigeria. Peter Obi’s supporters have that kind of mindset, I do not think they will even allow Peter Obi to be a running mate to Atiku even though he was in 2019. The 2019 dynamics were different, the dynamics in 2023 were different, the dynamics that will shape and influence the 2027 election will be different.
