2027 presidency: Aisha Yesufu warns against Obi as vice-presidential candidate

Prominent socio-political activist and African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain, Aisha Yesufu, has declared that she would actively oppose any presidential ticket in the 2027 general election that features Mr Peter Obi as a vice-presidential candidate.

Yesufu, who spoke in a video circulating on social media on Monday, cautioned Obi, the former Anambra State governor and Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, against accepting a deputy role in the forthcoming election.

According to her, Obi remains one of the strongest figures within the opposition bloc and should not settle for a secondary position on any ticket.

“I am giving my word,” Yesufu said. “If Peter Obi emerges as a running mate to anyone in 2027, I will work against that ticket. In my little capacity, I will oppose it, even if I do not support any other candidate.”

She questioned what she described as a recurring pattern in Nigerian politics where, in her view, the most credible candidates are often asked to play subordinate roles.

“Why is it always the best that is asked to be second?” she asked.

Obi, who recently joined the ADC, is among several aspirants seeking the presidential ticket of the party, which has been adopted by a coalition of opposition leaders aiming to challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.

However, political observers have suggested that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar may emerge as the party’s flagbearer, with Obi being considered as a possible running mate — a development that Yesufu has now openly opposed.