Coalition a Fraud, Subtle Plot to Back Atiku for 2027 , Ex-Obi Aide
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former governor of Anambra State Mr Peter Obi
A former Special Adviser to Peter Obi during the 2023 presidential election, Katchy Ononuju, has described the recently announced opposition coalition as a “fraud,” accusing certain political actors of deceiving Obi into joining the group under false pretenses.
Ononuju alleged that some politicians orchestrated a plan to lure their party members into a coalition that adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its platform, only to ultimately back former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the 2027 presidential election.
In a recent interview, Ononuju claimed Obi was misled into believing he would emerge as the coalition’s presidential candidate.
However, he said the real agenda was to exploit Obi’s popularity to draw public attention and later shift support to Atiku.
“The coalition was just a trick,” “They told Peter Obi, ‘Don’t worry, go and register, let us inaugurate. We’ll zone the ticket to the South and after the official launch, we’ll begin discussions on the terms of your candidacy.’ I told him then, these people are not sincere. They are playing a game.” Ononuju said.
Ononuju further stated that Obi had been promised post-launch negotiations regarding his candidacy, but was kept in the dark about internal maneuvers aimed at favoring another aspirant.
Reflecting on his role in the Obidient Movement, Ononuju said, “I served as Peter Obi’s Special Adviser on Public Affairs during the last election. Doyin Okupe and I co-founded the youth movement after leaving the PDP. Our goal was to prevent the party from abandoning the principle of zoning and inclusive governance. After much persuasion, we convinced Peter Obi to lead our efforts, which gave birth to the Obidient Movement.”
He expressed his disappointment at the current direction of the coalition, saying he could not remain silent while a movement he helped build is undermined by what he called opportunistic political arrangements.
“I cannot allow something I helped to found be reduced to a tool for political compromise. That’s why I told Peter Obi that I and my people will not support him if he submits to any arrangement that betrays the principles we stand for.”he said.
Ononuju also criticized the role of vice presidents in Nigeria, arguing that the position is largely symbolic and lacks real authority.
“You know that when you are Vice President in Nigeria, you’re essentially powerless,” “Look at Shettima. Look at what Goodluck Jonathan went through before becoming President. Look at Osinbajo ,the position doesn’t carry weight.”he said.
He emphasized the need to respect the North-South zoning arrangement in Nigerian politics, insisting that equity and fairness must guide political transitions.
“Our political problem is simple,” “In the PDP, we understood that power should rotate between the North and South. Once the North has held power ,even if it arrived in a Volkswagen Beetle the pendulum must swing back to the South. Whether it returns in a Mercedes or not doesn’t matter.”
“What I’m saying,” “is that no matter which party is used to bring a Northerner into power, the next presidency should go to the South. If the North has completed eight years, then it must be the South’s turn.”he said.
