Fresh controversy has erupted over former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s political role ahead of the 2027 general election, following conflicting claims over his alleged involvement in the Peter Obi-Rabiu Kwankwaso presidential alliance.
While the Yoruba Ronu Leadership Forum accused Obasanjo of secretly working to secure President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, his former Political Adviser, Dr. Akin Osuntokun, insisted the former president is the principal architect of the Obi-Kwankwaso presidential ticket on the platform of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
The disagreement comes as opposition parties intensify coalition-building efforts aimed at challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 presidential election.
In a statement signed by its President, Akin Malaolu, the Yoruba Ronu Leadership Forum alleged that Obasanjo’s recent political interventions were carefully designed to weaken the opposition rather than strengthen it.
The group cited Obasanjo’s recent letter to former Ogun State Governor, Segun Osoba, in which the former president alleged that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar mobilised the late Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na’Abba, in an attempt to impeach him while he was in office.
According to the forum, the letter formed part of a broader strategy to destabilise the opposition ahead of the 2027 elections.
The group also criticised Obasanjo for mentioning the late Na’Abba, arguing that the former Speaker could no longer respond to the allegations.
It further claimed that Obasanjo’s public support for Peter Obi and former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso was merely a political smokescreen intended to conceal his alleged backing for President Tinubu’s second-term bid.
The forum alleged that before the opposition coalition settled on its political platform, consultations were held with Obasanjo, who allegedly pushed for Obi to emerge as the coalition’s presidential candidate.
It further claimed that when those efforts failed, Obasanjo facilitated political realignments that eventually produced the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket on the NDC platform.
The group also alleged, without providing evidence, that the former president was collaborating with a member of Tinubu’s family to build political structures that would support the President’s re-election.
However, Osuntokun dismissed the allegations as baseless, insisting that Obasanjo remains one of the key figures behind the opposition alliance.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE Television, Osuntokun said Obasanjo personally brokered the alliance between Obi and Kwankwaso and continues to support their joint presidential ambition.
“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,” he said.
Rejecting claims that Obasanjo was secretly working for Tinubu, Osuntokun described the allegation as illogical.
“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,” he added.
He maintained that the former president directly negotiated the alliance and disclosed that discussions on an Obi-Kwankwaso partnership had begun years before the current political arrangement.
The renewed debate over Obasanjo’s political alignment comes days after he reignited his long-running feud with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar by alleging in a public letter that Atiku supported attempts to remove him from office during his presidency.
Atiku, through his media aide, Phrank Shaibu, rejected the allegation, insisting that his opposition to Obasanjo’s failed third-term agenda remains one of the defining moments of Nigeria’s democratic history.
As political activities gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general election, consultations and alliance-building among opposition figures have intensified, with Obasanjo’s political influence remaining at the centre of growing speculation over the race for Nigeria’s highest office.
