Former governor of Anambra State and presidential aspirant under the platform of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has pushed back against suggestions that he is avoiding former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Obi made the remarks 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. So I can’t be running from him. This man is my very respected leader and elder brother.
“I don’t run from him. Never. It has nothing to do with running from anybody. I’ve never run from anybody. I just believe that I do things differently,” he said.
The remarks come against the backdrop of a bruising few months in their political relationship.
