Melaye: Atiku too big for Obi ticket, predicts 2027 win over Tinubu

Former Kogi West Senator Dino Melaye declares Atiku Abubakar politically "too big" to serve as Peter Obi's running mate in 2027, arguing Obi should instead work with Atiku. "It is not a Volkswagen that pulls a lorry. It is a lorry that pulls a Volkswagen," Melaye told DCL in an interview published today.

Melaye dismisses speculation that Atiku might not appear on the ballot, urging APC supporters not to panic. He predicts Atiku will defeat President Bola Tinubu, stating "Tinubu and his governors will be disgraced." Melaye questions governors' electoral value, noting only 3 of 12 governors who contested Senate seats in 2023 won.

The former senator warns against any "Yugoslavian idea" — a reference to election cancellation — insisting Atiku remains determined to contest. This positions the PDP's 2023 candidate as the opposition's primary vehicle against Tinubu's re-election bid, while sidelining Obi's Labour Party momentum.

With both Atiku and Obi commanding significant but distinct voter bases, will opposition figures prioritize coalition mathematics over individual ambition, or does fragmented opposition guarantee Tinubu a second term?

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2026/11/12/atiku-too-big-for-peter-obi-to-back-melaye/