Umar Ardo: Atiku Unlikely to Quit, Obi Would Lose Base, Halting 2027 Coalition

On August 22, 2026, political strategist Umar Ardo told Arise News that ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar shows no willingness to withdraw from the 2027 race, while NDC’s Peter Obi could step down but would likely lose his support base. Ardo said, "My view is that Atiku does not have the propensity by himself to say, ‘I will step down.’ If he says so, he will not have a problem with his support base. But the issue is that he is highly unlikely to say that." He added that Peter Obi "has the propensity to say, ‘I will step down.’ But if he says so, he will not have his support base. He will not be able to carry his support base. His support base will not go with him." Ardo concluded that unless these two challenges are resolved, a merger between the two opposition figures is unlikely. However, he stressed that either candidate, acting alone, still has the capacity to defeat the incumbent president in 2027, depending on their individual strategies.

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2026/08/22/2027-why-peter-obi-atiku-cant-form-coalition-umar-ardo/