iDeemlawful—A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Aisha Yesufu, has cautioned former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, against accepting a vice-presidential role in the 2027 general election.
In a video that has since gone viral, the prominent socio-political activist declared she would actively oppose any presidential ticket that features Obi as a running mate.
According to Yesufu, Nigerians have cultivated a harmful tendency of relegating their most credible candidates to secondary positions rather than fully supporting them for top leadership roles.
She said, “Let’s go back to the conversation about Peter Obi, where people were saying he should run as a running mate. A running mate to who? Let me say it loud and clear: if Peter Obi becomes a running mate to anyone in 2027, I will work against that ticket in my little capacity. Why is it that we are always asking the best to be second?”
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Yesufu likened Obi’s situation to the experience of women in Nigerian politics, where leadership opportunities are often denied in favour of deputy positions.
Using a blunt comparison, she said even an unlikely presidential contender would still have her assigned as a deputy simply because she is a woman.
“They have turned his case into the way women are treated in Nigeria, where you are always pushed into the deputy position. I once said that even if a goat were running for president, they would automatically make Aisha Yesufu the deputy simply because she is a woman,” she added.
She argued that such political patterns must end, stressing that Obi embodies empathy and a sincere concern for citizens’ welfare — traits she believes should position him as a leading contender, not a subordinate.
“We cannot continue like this. When we talk about Peter Obi, we are talking about empathy and about someone who genuinely cares,” Yesufu said.
Obi, who recently joined the ADC — a party adopted by a coalition of opposition figures seeking to unseat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu — is among those eyeing the party’s presidential ticket.
However, there are indications that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar could emerge as the party’s flagbearer, with Obi potentially considered for the vice-presidential slot.