Victor Ezeja
Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the 2023 general elections, Atiku Abubakar, has said ongoing discussions could lead to a possible merger with the Labour Party to achieve a common goal of getting a credible candidate to wrestle power from Tinubu in 2027.
Speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa Service recently, Atiku said he is ready to offer his support if the PDP decides to zone the presidential ticket to Southeast and selects Peter Obi.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe former vice president recalled that he had made same statement before the 2023 election that if PDP zoned the presidential slot to the Southeast, he would drop his ambition but he later contested when the party made it an open contest for all members.
“If the party decides that it’s the turn of the South-East and Peter Obi is chosen, I won’t hesitate to support him.
“I have said repeatedly and I even said it before the 2023 general elections that if the PDP decides to zone the presidential ticket to the South or South-East specifically, I won’t contest it. As long as it’s the decision of the party, I will abide by it. But I contested the 2023 presidential ticket because it was thrown open to all members of the party,” Atiku stated in an interview with BBC Hausa Service.
Obi, who was the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, reportedly had separate meetings last week with key chieftains of the PDP including Atiku, former senate president, Bukola Saraki, former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, and some other party leaders.
The meeting sparked speculations about possible coalitions between the major opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Obi, who had been a member of the PDP, left in 2022 before the primaries saying events in the party was no longer in line with his view of internal party democracy and subsequently joined the Labour Party where he won the primaries and contested the 2023 presidential election and came third with over six million vcotes, according to the result announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Responding to questions about the fate of his ambition in 2027, Atiku said that would be determined by the decision of PDP going forward.
The former Nigeria’s vice president dismissed apprehension that the merger talks between the political parties could encounter a challenge when it comes to choice of presidential, saying that it will not be an issue when the time comes. “That challenge will not arise. I can tell you that the choice of who will fly the flag of the party won’t be an issue,” Atiku stated.
Speaking on his meeting with Obi, Atiku said it is just a normal friendly meeting, especially among opposition parties, adding that it is healthy for Nigeria’s democracy and the country’s interest.
