The National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Yunusa Tanko, has refuted claims that Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, met with former President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja to seek political support ahead of the 2027 elections.
Barely two days after Obi’s closed-door meeting with Jonathan sparked speculations of possible political realignments, Tanko clarified that the parley was strictly about national concerns.
“The relationship between Obi and Jonathan has been going on for a very long time. It has nothing to do with politics.
Their engagement is about the country,” Tanko said in an interview with Saturday PUNCH.
Obi had earlier described the discussion as “fruitful” and focused on “the state of our dear nation.”
Tanko stressed that the two leaders have often met away from public attention, adding that Jonathan, as a respected statesman, and Obi, who is “gradually becoming one,” share a mutual commitment to Nigeria’s stability.
“What we should be concerned about is how to rescue the country, not speculations about support,” he added.
Prompt News reports that Jonathan, since he left office in 2015, has embraced the role of an elder statesman, mediating political conflicts and promoting democracy across Africa.
Despite Tanko’s clarification, analysts noted that the timing of Obi’s visit, amid growing discontent with President Bola Tinubu’s administration and worsening economic hardship, will continue to fuel speculation about opposition realignments ahead of the next general election.