2027: Obi will opt out of coalition if he doesn’t get ticket — Yunusa Tanko

By Jude Opara

The Director-General of the Obedient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, has revealed that the former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, will contest the 2027 presidential election regardless of getting the opposition coalition ticket or not.

Peoples Daily reports that the national opposition coalition group has endorsed the Action Democratic Congress, (ADC), as the party for the 2027 election.

But since the unveiling of the opposition coalition, there has been concern over the zoning of the party’s presidential ticket.

Many leaders of the coalition, including Mr Obi, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former governor of Rivers State Rotimi Amaechi, have indicated interest in the country’s number-one seat.

Speaking at the 2nd Annual Colloquium of Associate Professor Abdulmumin Yinka Ajia, a former All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Kwara State, Mr Tanko who represented Mr Obi at the event urged the ADC, to zone its presidential ticket to the south.

He said the zoning is necessary in the interest of equity, unity, and national cohesion.

Mr Tanko said: “Why should we have a northerner again when we can easily allow the south to complete their tenure to promote unity and cohesiveness, and afterwards, our northern brothers can take up their eight years?

“We are urging this coalition to cede the presidential ticket to the South and let us finish this matter،” he added.

According to him, the 2027 elections present a bright opportunity for his principal, whom he said remains a capable and committed leader that can transform Nigeria.

He urged the coalition to seize this opportunity and avoid repeating the kind of political error that led to the late Moshood Abiola debacle.

He explained that, “Obi has already stated that he will contest in 2027 whether we get the coalition ticket or not.

“So we are not even contemplating whether or not he will run. But when we get to that level, the platform will be revealed,” he added.

In his welcome address, the celebrant described the ADC as a credible coalition platform for the opposition and a potential vehicle for political transformation in Nigeria.

“It is only a strong opposition, free from direct and indirect influence of the ruling party, that can rescue Nigeria from what can best be described as the irony of a collapsing rich nation,” he said.