2027 Power Pact? Atiku Offers Peter Obi VP Slot in One-Term Deal Amid Mega Coalition Talks

There are strong indications that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar may have proposed a single-term presidency deal to Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, in a move aimed at unifying the opposition ahead of the 2027 general election.

According to multiple high-level sources involved in the coalition negotiations, who requested anonymity, the offer was first tabled during a discreet meeting between Atiku and Obi in the United Kingdom earlier this year. Atiku reportedly pledged to serve only one four-year term and hand over to Obi in 2031—a strategic rotation aimed at strengthening opposition unity and appeasing both leaders’ support bases.

The former Anambra State governor, who served as Atiku’s running mate in the 2019 presidential race under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is said to have tentatively accepted the proposal. However, he is currently consulting with his inner circle and political loyalists before making any formal announcement.

This development comes nearly two months after Atiku, Obi, former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, and other political stakeholders publicly declared plans to form a coalition to challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027. The March 20 coalition announcement in Abuja sparked widespread debate and raised hopes for an opposition merger capable of ending APC’s dominance.

Sources say discussions have moved beyond exploratory talks to active alignment of strategies, with plans to sign a formal agreement. “Atiku and Obi met earlier in the UK where Atiku suggested the coalition idea and asked Obi to be his running mate,” said a party insider. “Obi asked for time to consult his people, and recent developments indicate he has agreed.”

There are also discussions about the political platform the Atiku-Obi ticket might run on, given the internal crises currently plaguing both the PDP and LP. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has emerged as a strong contender, with several coalition loyalists reportedly engaging with the party’s leadership or quietly switching affiliations.

A source familiar with the talks explained: “The Social Democratic Party (SDP) was an option, but it’s believed that the APC has already infiltrated it. The ADC, on the other hand, is gaining momentum, with many stakeholders aligning behind its vision for a mega political platform.”

When contacted, Atiku’s media aide, Paul Ibe, did not confirm the specifics of the agreement but acknowledged ongoing coalition talks. “What I can tell you is that both Atiku and Obi are focused on building a broad-based coalition capable of unseating the APC in 2027,” he said.

Obi’s camp has remained tight-lipped on the alleged deal. Peter Ahmeh, a close ally of Obi and National Secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties, avoided confirming the VP offer but noted Obi is actively working to resolve the LP’s internal disputes.

The National Coordinator of the Obedient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, dismissed reports of an Atiku-Obi joint ticket, saying: “As far as I’m concerned, there is nothing of this nature currently on the table. Obi has not discussed anything of the sort with me.”

ADC National Chairman Ralph Nwosu confirmed his party is in contact with all major opposition stakeholders and hinted at a major announcement soon. “The ADC is committed to building a mega African political party,” he said. “We’ve engaged with all key players and even government officials. The project is beyond Nigeria—it’s about rescuing Africa through credible leadership.”

As the political landscape begins to shift, Nigerians are watching closely. If sealed, an Atiku-Obi alliance under a united banner could reshape the dynamics of the 2027 election and pose the most formidable challenge yet to the APC’s reign.

…from military rule to mismanaged democracy, Nigeria’s crisis runs deeper than any one president.

By Femi Oyewale

Why We Remain D-Colonised: The British Built Institutions, Nigerians Built Excuses & Blames

By George Omagbemi Sylvester

More than sixty years after taking independence from Britain, Nigeria remains a painful paradox, a nation rich in resources yet poor in discipline, rich in talent yet impoverished by corruption and rich in culture yet diminished by moral decay. The painful irony is that Nigerians were colonised by the British, a people whose commitment to order, public service, patriotism and institutional integrity stands in stark contrast to the prevailing chaos in Nigeria.

It is time we admitted a bitter but necessary truth: the British are very much unlike Nigerians, especially in the spheres that determine national greatness. In public service, in private enterprise, in respect for the rule of law, in the dignity of labour, in financial accountability and in civic responsibility, the British have long upheld values that are either absent or grossly undervalued in Nigerian society.

1. Public Service and Integrity: A Tale of Two Cultures
The British civil service is one of the oldest and most respected bureaucracies in the world. It is built on principles of neutrality, competence and loyalty to the state; not the ruling party. According to the UK Institute for Government (2023), over 98% of British civil servants are appointed through a competitive, merit-based system that upholds the values of integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality. Compare this to Nigeria, where nepotism, bribery, tribalism and religious stands often determine appointments.

Transparency International’s 2023 Corruption Perception Index ranks the UK 20th out of 180 countries, while Nigeria languishes at 145th. In Nigeria, public service is viewed not as a means to serve, but as a platform to loot. The Nigerian politician is not a statesman; he is a state-chopper.

Chinua Achebe famously said, “The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership.”

2. Discipline and Duty to the State
The British are raised with an internalised sense of duty to their country. The Union Jack is not just a flag; it is a sacred symbol of collective sacrifice and national pride. Every schoolchild is taught to honour it. In contrast, Nigerian students do not know their state flags, much less the meaning of their national symbols. Even our National Anthem is recited without heart, often forgotten by those in power.

The British queue with discipline. They drive with patience. They pay taxes with dignity. In Nigeria, the concept of queueing is alien. We jump lines, bribe our way through airports and evade taxes while crying for development. According to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), only 10 million Nigerians pay taxes out of over 70 million eligible adults. In the UK, over 95% of working adults pay taxes annually.

Patriotism is not singing national songs during football matches. It is protecting public property. It is demanding accountability. It is paying taxes. It is electing leaders not based on tribe, but merit.

3. Financial Accountability and the Public Treasury
The British Parliament has robust mechanisms for scrutinising public expenditure. The UK’s National Audit Office regularly audits ministries and public officers are held accountable. In 2009, British MPs were forced to resign and even prosecuted over minor abuses of parliamentary expenses, some as little as £100.

In Nigeria, we lose billions to untraceable budget padding, fake contracts and ghost workers. According to the Auditor-General of Nigeria’s 2022 report, over ₦105 billion in federal funds were misappropriated or unaccounted for in one year alone. Yet, there are no consequences.

John Locke, a philosopher whose ideas influenced British governance, once said, “Where law ends, tyranny begins.” In Nigeria, law has long ended.

4. Private and Public Morality
The British sense of morality, though not perfect, is guided by centuries of cultural evolution, religious moderation and civic education. There is respect for the law, a love for clean environments and a fierce dedication to honesty in both public and private dealings. In the UK, cheating in an exam can end your academic career; in Nigeria, lecturers collect bribes for grades and universities sell honorary degrees to fraudsters.

In the UK, traffic rules are obeyed even without police presence. In Nigeria, motorists drive on pedestrian sidewalks, while police officers extort citizens in broad daylight. British society frowns at dishonesty; in Nigeria, we baptise fraudsters with nicknames like “fast Guy” and or “yahoo Yahoo”

Professor Wole Soyinka once said, “You cannot build a nation with crooks and you cannot expect honour from those who were not taught honour.”

5. Leadership and Political Discipline
The British political system is one of the most stable democracies in the world. Prime Ministers have resigned over integrity issues that would be considered trivial in Nigeria. David Cameron resigned after losing a referendum. Boris Johnson stepped down amid an internal party revolt. That is what democracy looks like: accountability not impunity.

In Nigeria, a leader can be caught on camera stuffing dollars in his agbada and still become a senator. The political elite are shielded by ethnicity, immunity and a docile populace. Leadership is about sacrifice in the UK; in Nigeria, it’s about plunder.

6. Religious Management and Behaviour
The British people have evolved spiritually. Religion is personal, not political. Churches and mosques do not block roads. Clerics do not endorse politicians for money. Religious leaders do not preach hatred or tribalism. In contrast, Nigerian religious institutions have become extensions of political parties and money-laundering schemes.

We pray more than any other nation on earth, yet our roads are the worst, our hospitals dilapidated and our police the most feared institution after armed robbers. God is not our problem; CHARACTER is.

7. Human and Resource Management
The UK has one of the best systems for managing its citizens. Births are recorded, national identity is compulsory, pensions are paid and the National Health Service (NHS) offers universal healthcare. In Nigeria, millions have no ID. Ghost workers earn salaries. Pensioners die in queues. Doctors flee the country daily. According to the Nigerian Medical Association (2023), over 60% of Nigeria-trained doctors now work abroad, many in the UK and Canada.

A Call to National Rebirth Through Character Transformation
It is not geography or GDP that distinguishes nations, it is the character of the people. Britain colonised over a quarter of the world not just with ships and soldiers, but with an ideology of order, systems and responsibility. Today, Britain remains relevant not because of its natural resources, but because it has mastered human management, institutional governance, and social discipline.

Nigeria must stop blaming colonialism for her current state. The British have long left, but we continue to govern like a colony of impunity. We have replaced oppression with self-destruction and substituted colonial order with indigenous chaos. The tragedy is not that we were colonised; it is that we never outgrew it.

The time has come for Nigerians to look in the mirror and ask: “Are we building a country, or simply existing in one?”

If we must ever rise, then every citizen from the street HAWKER to the SENATOR must undergo a moral re-engineering. Our children must be taught ethics before English and our leaders must be held to the standards of public service, not personal gain.

Nations are not built by miracles, they are built by mindsets and until we begin to think like those who once ruled us not in dominance but in discipline, we will remain a footnote in the history of missed potential.

Let me end with the words of Mahatma Gandhi:
“A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.”

And to paraphrase former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill:
“To each, there comes a moment when he is figuratively tapped on the shoulder and asked to do a great thing. Let Nigeria not sleep through that moment.”

Nigeria, arise; not in noise, but in discipline and let the transformation begin, not in Abuja, but in the Nigerian soul.