A fresh wave of controversy has erupted over former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s political activities ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general election, as the Yoruba Ronu Leadership Forum accuses him of covertly working to secure President Bola Tinubu’s re-election.
In response, Obasanjo’s former Political Adviser, Dr. Akin Osuntokun, maintains that the ex-president is, in fact, the architect of the Peter Obi–Rabiu Kwankwaso presidential alliance under the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
These conflicting claims come amid heightened political realignments and intensified coalition-building among opposition parties determined to unseat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the next presidential race.
In a statement signed by its President, Akin Malaolu, and issued on Sunday, the Yoruba Ronu Leadership Forum alleged that Obasanjo’s recent political moves are calculated to weaken rather than strengthen the opposition.
The group cited Obasanjo’s recent letter to former Ogun State Governor Segun Osoba, in which he accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of enlisting the late Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na’Abba, in an attempt to impeach him during his presidency.
According to the forum, the letter was not simply a personal attack on Atiku, but part of a broader strategy to destabilise opposition parties ahead of 2027. What many perceive as an attack on Atiku is, in reality, a deliberate assault on Nigeria’s opposition parties, Malaolu stated. The group further criticised Obasanjo for referencing the late Na’Abba, arguing that the former Speaker is no longer able to defend himself.
By dragging the name of Ghali Umar Na’Abba into his allegation, Obasanjo knows too well that the late Speaker is incapable of a right of reply,” the statement read.
The forum also alleged that Obasanjo’s public endorsement of NDC candidate Peter Obi and former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso is merely a smokescreen to mask his alleged support for President Tinubu’s second-term ambitions.
By this letter, Obasanjo has only confirmed speculations that he is working for his kinsman, President Bola Tinubu, to actualise his second-term ambition, Malaolu claimed.
According to the group, prior to the opposition coalition’s formation, several national leaders—including Obasanjo—were consulted, but the former president was determined to ensure Obi became the coalition’s presidential candidate.
The forum further alleged that when those efforts did not succeed, Obasanjo facilitated realignments that led to Obi and Kwankwaso contesting on the NDC platform. Without providing evidence, the group also accused Obasanjo of collaborating with a member of Tinubu’s family to build political structures in support of Tinubu’s re-election.
Dr. Osuntokun, however, dismissed these accusations as baseless, insisting that Obasanjo remains a principal force behind the opposition alliance. Speaking on ARISE Television on Sunday, Osuntokun said Obasanjo personally brokered the alliance between Obi and Kwankwaso and continues to support their joint ticket.
If you can say that Obasanjo is supporting any ticket, it is the Peter Obi–Kwankwaso ticket. He is the principal sponsor, Osuntokun declared. He described claims of Obasanjo secretly backing Tinubu as illogical and unfounded.
How do you then suggest that he is secretly working for Tinubu? It does not make sense to me. The evidence is in the public domain. Obasanjo is playing a major role in supporting the Obi–Kwankwaso ticket,” he said.
Pressed on whether Obasanjo directly negotiated the alliance, Osuntokun was unequivocal: Yes, of course. He brokered the ticket between Obi and Kwankwaso. Both of them are quite close to him.
It is a ticket that makes sense and could make a significant impact in the 2027 election. I can tell you for free that he was the one who brought the ticket together.
Osuntokun also revealed that discussions about an Obi–Kwankwaso partnership predated the current arrangement. Kwankwaso could have teamed up with Obi four years ago.
I remember him saying that if they had agreed then, they would probably have had an arrangement to each serve one term, and Kwankwaso would now have been the beneficiary, he added.
This latest round of disagreement over Obasanjo’s political role comes just days after he reignited his long-standing feud with Atiku by alleging, in a public letter, that the former vice president supported attempts to remove him from office during his presidency.
Atiku, via his media aide Phrank Shaibu, rejected the allegation, maintaining that his opposition to Obasanjo’s unsuccessful third-term bid is one of the defining moments in Nigeria’s democratic history.
As political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general election, opposition leaders have stepped up consultations and alliance-building to mount a formidable challenge to the APC. Obasanjo, who maintains close ties with several key opposition figures, continues to be at the centre of speculation regarding his political loyalties, with Sunday’s conflicting statements underscoring the intense manoeuvring already shaping the race for Nigeria’s highest office.
