The presidential aspirant of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has dismissed claims suggesting that he is distancing himself from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, insisting that the two share a close relationship built on mutual respect.
Speaking on Friday at the Spier Dialogue 2026 held in Cape Town, South Africa, Obi described Atiku as a respected political leader and an elder brother, stressing that there was no reason for him to avoid the former vice president.
“Not many people are as close to Atiku as I am. So I can’t be running from him. This man is my highly respected leader and older brother.
“I don’t run from him. Never. It doesn’t involve escaping from anyone. I’ve never run from anybody.
“I just think I go about things in a different way,” he said.
The former Anambra State governor made the remarks amid speculation surrounding his political relationship with Atiku following recent developments within opposition coalition politics ahead of the 2027 general election.
Both politicians had previously adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a coalition platform to challenge President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
Obi, however, later dumped the ADC for the NDC after officially joining the coalition party on January 1, 2026.
