The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has explained why he cannot simply step down for former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Obi said the issue had moved beyond a personal decision between him and Atiku, noting that both politicians are now presidential candidates of different political parties.

The former Anambra State governor made the clarification during an interview with Arise Television on Thursday while discussing the 2027 election, the opposition coalition and efforts to build a stronger political platform against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to Obi, any decision on a possible alliance between him and Atiku must now involve the political parties rather than being determined by the two candidates individually.

He explained that since both men are candidates of separate parties, discussions about who should emerge as a consensus candidate would require negotiations between the parties and their respective structures.

Obi and Atiku were previously political allies, with Obi serving as Atiku’s running mate under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 presidential election. Their political paths later separated ahead of the 2023 election, when Obi left the PDP to contest under the Labour Party while Atiku remained the PDP candidate.

Both politicians were later involved in opposition coalition efforts that adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a platform. However, they eventually emerged as presidential candidates of different parties for the 2027 election.

Obi’s latest comments come amid renewed calls for opposition parties to unite behind a single candidate capable of challenging President Bola Tinubu and the APC in 2027.

While ruling out the idea of simply surrendering his candidacy to Atiku, Obi did not completely shut the door on discussions between the opposition parties, stressing that any agreement would have to be reached through broader political negotiations.

He also dismissed reports that he had previously rejected an offer to become Atiku’s running mate, saying he was not in a position where such an offer had been made to him.

The development adds to the growing debate over the possibility of a single opposition candidate in the 2027 presidential election, with political leaders continuing to weigh alliances, mergers and consensus arrangements ahead of the poll.