The presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, on Wednesday met with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, amid growing political discussions over the former Nigerian leader’s role ahead of the 2027 general election.
Photos from the meeting were shared on X by Obi’s photographer, Esther Umoh.
In a brief statement accompanying the images, Umoh wrote, “Earlier today, the presidential candidate of the NDC, Peter Obi, met with former president Olusegun Obasanjo.”
The photographs showed Obi, dressed in a blue traditional outfit, walking alongside Obasanjo, who was dressed in a white native attire with a blue patterned cap. A Catholic bishop was also seen with the two leaders during parts of the meeting, with some of the photographs taken outdoors and others indoors.
The meeting came shortly after Obi attended the funeral service in Lagos for the late Nkechi Stella Rhodes-Vivour, mother of African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour.
At the funeral, Obi was joined by the ADC’s vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, as they paid their last respects to the deceased.
Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Peter Obi, met with former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Credit: X/Esther Umoh
A day earlier, Obi had attended the Service of Songs in her honour, where he reflected on the loss and urged those present to live good lives.
“I will ever have an opportunity of being in this type of sad situation when people are paying wonderful, good tributes of people?
“I say maybe God has a reason why God is taking the best out of us. Because I always say if God was looking for bad people in Nigeria, He would be overwhelmed.
“So if He takes the good one, it’s just to allow those who are remaining to be able to change their ways.Political candidate endorsements
“So may God continue to be with this family and bless them always. And all of us, God bless all of you.”
Wednesday’s meeting between Obi and Obasanjo also comes days after former Political Adviser to the ex-president, Akin Osuntokun, claimed that Obasanjo was the principal force behind the alliance between Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television, Osuntokun dismissed suggestions that Obasanjo was secretly supporting President Bola Tinubu, insisting that the former president had instead played a leading role in bringing the opposition leaders together.
If you can say that Obasanjo is supporting any ticket, it is the Peter Obi–Kwankwaso ticket. As a matter of fact, he is the principal sponsor of that ticket,” Osuntokun said.Nigerian government updates
Rejecting claims that Obasanjo was working for Tinubu, he added, “So how do you then suggest that he is secretly working for Tinubu? It does not make sense to me.
“I think that claim is absolute bunkum. The evidence is in the public domain. Obasanjo is playing a major role in supporting the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket. He was the one who brought the two men together.”
Osuntokun further stated that discussions about an alliance between Obi and Kwankwaso had been ongoing for years.
“Kwankwaso could have teamed up with Obi four years ago. I remember him saying that if they had agreed then, they would probably have had an arrangement in which they would each spend one term in office, and Kwankwaso would now have been the beneficiary,” he said.Political candidate endorsements
He maintained that Obasanjo personally brokered the alliance because both Obi and Kwankwaso were close to him and because he believed the joint ticket could significantly influence the outcome of the 2027 presidential election.
“Yes, of course. That’s what I said. He brokered the ticket between Obi and Kwankwaso. Both of them are quite close to him. It is a ticket that makes sense and has the potential to make a significant impact in the 2027 election. I can tell you for free that he was the one who brought the ticket together,” Osuntokun added.
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