By Peter Omopo | September 13, 2025
The National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Yunusa Tanko, has dismissed speculations that Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, met with former President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja to seek political backing ahead of the 2027 elections.
Tanko, speaking on Friday, clarified that the meeting, which was held behind closed doors earlier in the week, was not politically driven but centred on Nigeria’s pressing national challenges.
“The relationship between Obi and Jonathan has been going on for a very long time. So it has nothing to do with the continuous engagement that they have. It’s about the country,” he said in an interview with Saturday PUNCH.
The parley, described by Obi as “fruitful” and focused on “the state of our dear nation,” had fuelled speculation of possible political realignments ahead of the next general elections.
Tanko, however, insisted that the meeting carried no political undertone, stressing that both men share a long-standing working relationship.
“Both Jonathan and Obi have been meeting without even the notice of the public. People only began to pay attention when talks about Jonathan’s possible political return started circulating,” he explained.
He added, “Jonathan is a statesman, and Obi is gradually becoming one. The country is currently on the brink. What we should be concerned about is how to rescue it.”
Obi, who disrupted Nigeria’s traditional two-party dominance with his strong third-place finish in the 2023 election, has continued to consult widely with political leaders nationwide. Jonathan, since leaving office in 2015, has embraced his role as an elder statesman, mediating political disputes and advancing democracy across Africa.
Despite Tanko’s clarification, political observers argue that the timing of the meeting—amid economic hardship and growing criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration—will likely continue to stir speculation about possible opposition realignments ahead of 2027.
