Peter Obi, take the short road to Aso Rock

As I settled down to write this epistle, I prayed fervently.  I prayed with infinite hope that His Excellency,  Peter Gregory Obi, would appreciate my pure motives and steadfast resolve.

It is not every time that history knocks twice at the same door. And when it does, the wise open it. Not with hesitation. But with the clarity of one who knows that opportunity often comes disguised as compromise.

For the former Anambra State governor, the moment is upon him. He stands at a political crossroads, beloved by millions, buoyed by the unyielding passion of the Obidients, and regarded by many Nigerians as the embodiment of integrity in a political landscape often drenched in corruption and cynicism. Yet, the pathway to the presidency, his ultimate destination, may not lie in the trivial catchphrase of  “one term only.”

It may lie in partnership.

Across Nigeria’s political horizon, the permutations are loud.  The whispers have grown into open debate. Can Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi possibly be on the same ticket in 2027?

The permutation is this. Atiku, the political titan from the North, has a war chest deep enough to contend with the entrenched machinery of incumbency. Then, he is joined by Peter Obi, who hails from the Southeast, a man bearing the credibility, integrity, and impeccable character that Nigerians desperately yearn for.

The arithmetic is clear: Atiku’s electoral dominance in most Northern states in 2023, plus Obi’s sweeping victory in the Southeast, will create a coalition of strength that Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s APC would find difficult, perhaps impossible,  to withstand.

This is no mere fantasy. This is cold electoral mathematics.

There is no question that Obi’s supporters fear the harsh realities. They know presidential elections in Nigeria demand resources and ground networks that even his unmatched popularity cannot instantly conjure. They know that parts of the far North regrettably still wrestle with the idea, not the man, but the idea of an Igbo president. And while Obi’s image is beginning to chip away at this sad prejudice, it may not be enough to break the wall in 2027 on his own terms.

But as Atiku’s running mate, with a solemn and publicly stated one-term commitment from Atiku, he would not merely be vice president; he would be President-in-waiting. And with that deal sealed in daylight, not whispers, Nigerians will see 2027 not as Atiku’s coronation but as the beginning of Obi’s ascent.

Before the elections, he must negotiate not just a seat at the table as a vice president but the power to steer the nation’s economy. Atiku should govern as a statesman, while Obi drives the economic renaissance and leads the war against corruption,  his natural battleground. Nigerians already believe in his fiscal discipline, clean record, and his irreversible refusal to feed from the public trough.

As Prof Jones Enuma, a US-based Igbo man from Delta state, puts it: “This is not about shrinking his ambition. This is about sharpening it. In politics, as in chess, the surest way to checkmate is sometimes through the knight’s move — a sidestep that surprises your opponent and secures the board.”

Now illustrating  excitedly, as if speaking directly to the former governor, he added,

“Imagine 2031: An accomplished and fulfilled Atiku Abubakar steps aside. Then you, Peter Obi, having served as vice president with tangible achievements in economic reform, nationwide infrastructure revival, and corruption dismantling, then you step forward with both North and Southeast behind you. Not as an outsider pleading for trust, but as a proven national leader, forged in the crucible of governance. Of course, the election would have been almost won before the first ballot was cast,” he enthused as his lips curved into a gentle smile, eyes glowing with a quiet satisfaction.

It must be stressed that in the race to rescue Nigeria from the grip of misrule and mortal corruption,  sentiment must yield to strategy. Obi can storm the gates now and risk being outgunned once again, or  march in with a seasoned ally, secure the citadel, and prepare to lead the nation without the weight of an untested national mandate