By Uche Amunike
The Labour Party presidential candidate during the 2023 presidential election, Mr Peter Obi, has thrown more light on speculations that there might be a merger between the Labour Party (LP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Over the weekend, Peter Obi was a guest on NoireTV, an American multinational premium cable channel, belonging to Casper Media and launched on March 2023. While he was seen fielding questions during the program which was released on YouTube, one of the questions bordered on the prospect of being supported as a South East candidate in the 2027 presidential election by the PDP’s presidential candidate during the 2023 general election, Atiku Abubakar.
Recall that Atiku Abubakar clearly indicated interest in supporting Peter Obi if his party zoned the presidential ticket to the Southeast. His words: ‘I have said repeatedly and I even said it before the 2023 general election 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.’
‘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,’ Atiku declared in a recent interview with BBC Hausa Service.
Peter Obi quickly cleared the air on that, while responding to the questions thrown by the interviewer.
Obi replied that any merger that will take place between Labour Party and any other party, must be centered on improving governance and helping the poor. He stated that such alliances should go deeper than just winning elections or capturing the state.
His words: ‘I commend Atiku for his statement, especially where he said he will support me if it goes to the South East.’
‘On the issue of a merger and the coming together of parties, I have always said as long as any merger or any coming together is to better Nigeria and for governing properly, I am for it.’
‘If it is just a merger for election or state capture, I’m not for it. I am not desperate to be president, I am desperate to see Nigeria work, especially for the poor, because we have a lot of potential.’
‘So, if the merger is to be able to govern Nigeria properly on all those things that will make Nigeria a better place, I am for it. If the merger is to be able to govern Nigeria properly and work for all those things that would make Nigeria become a better place, I am for it. It might be at the party level, it might be at the individual level or at any level, we must come together to be able to build a better Nigeria.’
Atiku maintained that his party members will decide his fate in the 2027 election, but that an alliance with Peter Obi might happen.
