By Reporter Agregor Ebiboere Immaculate

The proposed mega opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections has triggered fresh debate over who should emerge as the presidential candidate between former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

The debate followed a call by the G100 coalition for opposition parties and political figures to unite behind a single candidate in an effort to challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

However, the major challenge confronting the proposed alliance remains the question of which of the two leading opposition figures should step down.

Obi, speaking in a recent interview with ARISE Television, said he could not unilaterally withdraw his presidential ambition in favour of Atiku.

According to him, any political arrangement involving the opposition must go beyond the individual candidates and involve the political parties concerned.

The issue has become particularly significant because Atiku and Obi previously appeared on the same presidential ticket in 2019 before contesting separately in the 2023 presidential election.

Atiku is widely regarded by his supporters as having extensive political experience, a nationwide political network and strong structures, particularly across Northern Nigeria.

Obi, on the other hand, has maintained a strong support base among young Nigerians and voters seeking political and economic reforms.

The disagreement over who should step aside has therefore become one of the major obstacles to efforts to build a single opposition platform ahead of 2027.

Calls for Atiku to Step Down

The NDC vice-presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, had earlier called on Atiku to withdraw from the presidential race to facilitate a broader opposition arrangement.

The call, however, attracted criticism from some members of the ADC and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

ADC chieftain Chille Igbawua described the appeal as inappropriate and questioned suggestions that Atiku should withdraw because of his age or other personal considerations.

Meanwhile, Chief Promoter of the Alternative Movement, Segun Showunmi, has criticised the renewed push for candidates to step down at this stage of the political process.

Showunmi argued that the time for negotiating such an arrangement was before the various parties produced their presidential candidates.

He maintained that asking either Atiku or Obi to withdraw after their respective political structures had already been established could create further disagreements within the opposition.

According to him, both candidates have invested considerable time, resources and political effort in their presidential ambitions.

He also questioned how an agreement at the presidential level would affect candidates contesting for governorship, Senate and House of Representatives seats under the various parties.

Coalition Challenge

Showunmi further argued that the opposition coalition had already gone through several stages of negotiations and that the emergence of different presidential candidates had made a last-minute arrangement more complicated.

He said the proposed alliance would require clear agreements on issues such as the presidential candidate and power-sharing arrangements before the formation of a coalition.

The debate also comes as other opposition figures continue to pursue their own political ambitions ahead of 2027.

The central question now remains whether Atiku and Obi, alongside their respective political structures, can reach an agreement capable of producing a single presidential candidate.

With the 2027 election approaching, the outcome of the coalition discussions could have significant implications for the opposition’s strategy and the shape of the presidential contest.

For now, neither Atiku nor Obi has publicly announced a decision to withdraw from the presidential race in favour of the other