The National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, has urged former President Goodluck Jonathan to support the presidential ambition of Peter Obi instead of allowing himself to be “used against the will of the people” ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking on Trust TV’s Daily Politics, Tanko said Jonathan should recognise that Obi is the most popular candidate in the race and repay him for standing by him during attempts to remove him from office when he was president.

“Even the former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, said Peter Obi was the only governor who supported President Goodluck Jonathan when they were trying to remove him; it was only Obi who stood by him,” Tanko said.

“This is the time President Jonathan should repay that good gesture by calling on everybody to support Peter Obi.”

Tanko warned that a “microscopic few who have held this country in total abject poverty” were trying to use Jonathan to advance their political agenda, adding that such moves could work against the interest of Nigerians.

He maintained that Obi remained the most popular candidate for 2027 and was being courted by no fewer than eight political parties.

“Not because he’s the most handsome or most intelligent, but because he represents the interest of Nigerian youths, stands for them and speaks their language,” he said.

On concerns about Obi’s engagement with different political platforms, Tanko said the former Anambra governor was keeping doors open to unite opposition forces with the aim of winning the presidency.

“If you are the one that people are beckoning on in large numbers, would you throw away any one of them?” he asked.

Tanko dismissed fears that the Labour Party, PDP and ADC could not work together, insisting the target was to win the presidency. He described Obi as a leader who had “conquered greed and annihilated selfishness,” adding that his governance style in Anambra, which included appointing 60 per cent female commissioners and engaging them in open debates, showed his democratic nature.

He also defended Obi’s promise to serve only one term if elected, saying it was part of a gentleman’s agreement to ensure fairness between North and South.

“Peter Obi promised to serve four years,” Tanko said.

The Obidient leader stressed that Obi’s growing humanitarian engagements – such as donations to schools and healthcare facilities – were driven more by compassion than political calculations.

“If there are other candidates that have such compassion, consistency and care for the people, let them try the same thing he’s doing,” he said.

Tanko said Nigerians needed a leader with Obi’s “character, compassion, credibility, consistency and accountability” to end poverty, insecurity and economic decline.

“We don’t need recycled products that cannot produce new ideas,” he added.

Rising speculation over Jonathan’s role

Tanko’s remarks come amid speculation that opposition leaders are weighing whether to field Obi or Jonathan as a consensus candidate in the 2027 election. Both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the coalition-led African Democratic Congress (ADC) are said to be considering both men as options.

Last week, former Jigawa State governor Sule Lamido declared that Jonathan would be the PDP’s strongest option for the presidential election, insisting that no current PDP member from the South could match his experience.

However, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, renewed his appeal for Obi to return to the PDP. Another party chieftain, former Minister of Information Jerry Gana, has said Obi could be “the candidate to beat” if he emerged as the PDP’s flag bearer.

Meanwhile, Dumebi Kachikwu, the ADC’s 2023 presidential candidate, claimed last week that Jonathan had offered Obi the post of Minister of Finance and Economy if he withdrew from the race.

But Ibrahim Hussain Abdulkarim, a close associate of Obi, told the BBC Hausa Service that at Obi’s current political level, he could not accept a ministerial position.

“In our current situation, it is not a matter of going back; it is a matter of going forward. We have already touched the Jonathan government, now we are moving forward,” Abdulkarim said.

He noted the good relationship between the two men, recalling Obi’s role during Jonathan’s administration.

“Anyone who knew the two men during the Jonathan administration knows the importance of Obi and the role he played in the government,” he said.

Abdulkarim added that if any alliance were to be forged, Jonathan should support Obi. “We hope that even if there is a discussion, Jonathan will come and support Peter Obi so that the needed change can be achieved,” he said.

Obi now captive to movement’s expectations – Prof Kari

Commenting on the unfolding situation, Professor Abubakar Kari of the University of Abuja told Daily Trust that Obi had become “trapped” in the high expectations of the Obidient Movement and must tread carefully to avoid being derailed politically.

Kari described Jonathan’s potential candidacy as a possible spanner in the works for the opposition’s strategy ahead of 2027, warning it had now become a zero-sum game.

“It’s either they present Jonathan as the opposition coalition candidate or hope he does not contest at all,” he said.

According to him, it might have been politically expedient for Obi to accept a role in a Jonathan-led government, but the former Anambra governor was now “literally a captive” of his movement.

“Obi is a politician with political aspirations. Before he contested for president, he was a vice presidential candidate, but the Obidient Movement sees him only as a presidential candidate. So, it is a crisis that he is backed and has been drowned by a very loud movement. But he should be allowed to take his own decision,” Kari said.

The don noted that the Obidient Movement’s strength lay in the South East, South South and the Middle Belt, regions that also form Jonathan’s political base.

“It would be unwise for both of them to pursue their ambitions separately,” he warned.

Kari said Jonathan’s aspiration could derail the opposition’s plan unless he was presented as an unopposed consensus candidate, which could create a formidable challenge for President Bola Tinubu in 2027. (Daily Trust)