Peter Obi backs Makinde for the 2027 presidency, calling him qualified to lead Nigeria while urging politicians to unite after a credible election
Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate Peter Obi and Allied Peoples Movement presidential candidate Seyi Makinde on Monday, September 7, 2026, appeared together in Abuja as Obi declared Makinde qualified to become Nigeria’s president and called for greater political unity ahead of the 2027 general election.
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Obi made the remarks during the inauguration of Makinde’s presidential campaign office in the Federal Capital Territory, an appearance that brought together political figures from different opposition platforms as preparations for the next presidential contest gather pace.
The former Anambra State governor said the occasion was not about political desperation but about allowing Nigerians to freely choose their preferred leader.
Obi said Makinde, who is also the governor of Oyo State, had the necessary qualifications to seek the presidency.
“We want a Nigeria of unity, inclusion; we have a candidate who is contesting for President today, my dear brother Makinde. Is he qualified to be President? Yes, he is qualified,” Obi said.
The NDC candidate also appealed to politicians to place the interests of Nigerians above partisan disagreements, particularly as the country grapples with economic hardship, poverty and insecurity.
Obi argued that the outcome of the 2027 election should not permanently divide the country, saying political leaders should be prepared to work together regardless of who emerges victorious.
“What we are doing today, for us, is not about desperation but we want Nigerians to make their choice. All of us should come together to build a new Nigeria,” he said.
“We can’t continue the way we are going. Our people are hungry and poor. Whoever wins genuinely from a free, fair and credible election, we will all work together to save this country from collapse.”
Obi’s appearance at the APM campaign office was notable because he and Makinde are contesting the presidency on separate political platforms.
Reports from the event identified the venue as the Makinde-Lawan Daura campaign headquarters in Wuse II, Abuja.
Rather than presenting the gathering as an alliance, Obi framed his participation around solidarity and a broader call for a less confrontational political culture.
He urged political actors to redirect their disagreements towards finding practical solutions to the problems affecting ordinary Nigerians.
“That’s why I’m here to show solidarity and assure you that we are changing the system. We don’t want politics of quarrel, politics of disagreement,” Obi said.
“Let our quarrel be to feed our people. We want a Nigeria where the child of nobody can be somebody without knowing anybody.”
The appearance also came against the backdrop of a steadily developing opposition landscape ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Makinde is seeking the presidency under the APM, while Obi is contesting under the NDC.
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar is also in the race on the platform of the African Democratic Congress, while President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is seeking re-election under the All Progressives Congress.
At the same event, Bauchi State Governor and APM National Leader Bala Mohammed urged Nigerians not to underestimate Makinde’s candidacy.
Mohammed described the Oyo governor as an experienced administrator and said the APM intended to present the presidential race as an opportunity to change the direction of governance in Nigeria.
“Whoever disregards us is at his own peril. We are here to reset Nigeria and we are bringing in one of the best human capital that Nigeria has ever produced at the sub-national and national level, that is Makinde,” Mohammed said.
The APM leadership has positioned the campaign around its promise of a national reset, while highlighting Makinde’s record in Oyo State and his experience in public administration.
Makinde’s emergence has added another significant figure to an increasingly crowded opposition field.
The 2027 contest is expected to generate further political realignments as parties and candidates attempt to build nationwide structures and appeal to voters across regional and partisan lines.
For Obi, however, the central message from Monday’s gathering was broader than individual political ambitions.
His call for Nigerians to support whoever emerges through a genuinely free and credible election reflects an appeal for political competition without allowing the contest to deepen existing divisions.
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As the 2027 race begins to take shape, the Abuja appearance offered a striking moment of political civility between two presidential contenders, even as both prepare to seek the mandate of Nigerian voters.
