A coalition which styled itself “Atiku Givus Obi 2027” (AGOBI’27), has called on the former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to step down for the 2023 presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi, to fly the coalition ticket in 2027.
The coalition comprising Save Democracy Mega Alliance (SDMA), Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), among others, warned that the failure of Atiku and Obi to unite will pave the way for President Bola Tinubu to return to office in 2027.
In a statement issued after a meeting in Abuja over the weekend, the group alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and the judiciary are already set to aid Tinubu’s re-election if Atiku and Obi contest on different platforms.
The statement jointly signed by the interim National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Prince Tony Akeni, CUPP National Secretary, High Chief Peter Ameh, among others, was optimistic that “If the right decisions are taken by stakeholders of our opposition political parties and electorate, we shall achieve the urgent objective of emancipating our country through the ballot in 2027.”
The group appealed to the former Vice President to “magnanimously step into the shoes of a statesman, accept the mantle of modern-day father of the Nigerian nation, lead nationalist and liberator of our century.
“This you would do for our country by giving your blessing, putting your weight, structures, goodwill and institutions behind the man Peter Obi to run as the presidential candidate of the opposition on your behalf and that of all Nigerians against the APC behemoth in 2027.”
According to the group, while Tinubu could easily defeat both Atiku and Obi if they contest on separate platforms, by using federal machineries and institutions to rig against them, “A hundred Tinubus with a hundred-fold of all the structures and institutions at his command cannot return to office in 2027 if Atiku gives PO a vice presidential choice and stands behind Obi for the 2027 presidential race.”
The coalition advised the former vice president to aspire to be remembered as the man who sacrificed his ambition to liberate Nigeria, rather than “the man who sacrificed Nigeria for his ambition yet never got it.”
