Atiku: If He Supports Obi, It Means They Have Left The Entire Northern Flank Open – Afegbua

In a recent interview on Arise TV, on Saturday, August 15, 2026, Kassim Afegbua, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Commissioner for Information in Edo State, discussed the possible consequences of Atiku Abubakar supporting Peter Obi as a presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 general election.

Afegbua stated, “If it is Atiku who is giving support to Obi, it means they have left the entire Northern flank open.” He made the statement while assessing the regional political calculations that could shape the 2027 presidential election.

According to Afegbua, Atiku remains a prominent political figure in the North, and his decision to support another candidate could affect the opposition’s ability to consolidate support in the region.

He argued that the political strength of presidential candidates cannot be determined solely by their previous election results, as regional alliances, party structures and political relationships can influence voter behaviour.

Afegbua further maintained that if Obi became the opposition’s preferred candidate with Atiku’s support, the APC could seek to consolidate its own support across the northern region.

The APC member argued that political parties would carefully study the regional implications of any agreement reached by opposition politicians before the 2027 election.

He also maintained that the proposed opposition alliance would have to balance different regional interests if it wanted to present a candidate capable of competing nationwide.

Afegbua concluded that the choice of a consensus candidate would have significant consequences for the opposition’s electoral strategy, particularly in relation to its support base in the North.

COURTESY: Virtue-Graphics