The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, on Monday, held a closed-door meeting with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and a number of Peoples Democratic Party stalwarts in Abuja.
Obi also met separately with a former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, and former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, a development that sparked speculation about a potential coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Obi was a member of the PDP until 2022 when he defected to the Labour Party to pursue his presidential ambition.
He came third behind Atiku in the February 23 presidential election, which was won by Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress.
Atiku blamed Obi’s defection from the PDP for his loss to Tinubu.
Pundits argued that Atiku’s 6,984,520 votes and Obi’s 6,101,533 votes would have secured victory against Tinubu, who garnered 8,794,726 votes.
Monday’s meeting was the first time since after the election that Obi and Atiku would be meeting to public knowledge.
Online platforms and social media were awash with viral photographs of Obi’s meeting with the three PDP chieftains on Monday.
In 2019, both Atiku and Obi ran on the PDP joint ticket but were defeated by former President Muhammadu Buhari of the APC.
But due to internal conflicts, Obi, who served as Atiku’s running mate in 2019, left the PDP and contested the 2023 presidential election as the candidate of the Labour Party.
Speaking with one of our correspondents on Monday, Atiku’s media adviser, Paul Ibe, suggested the potential for a coalition ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The aide also confirmed that Obi’s meeting with Atiku lasted approximately 20 minutes.
He stated, “Yes, Peter Obi visited Atiku Abubakar. They met for about 20 minutes behind closed doors, so we wouldn’t know what was said, and they didn’t disclose anything to us.
“Since Atiku Abubakar mentioned coalition discussions and such, I believe that both of them must have been engaged in dialogue. And I did mention that they wouldn’t be discussing it in the media. So, they have indeed been in discussions and it is just a matter of those discussions bearing fruit.
“Regarding the coalition talks, perhaps it is already underway. The possibility does exist.”
In his response, the Deputy National Youth Leader of the PDP, Timothy Osadolor, remarked that the meeting had been delayed for too long. He said Nigerians were eagerly anticipating political unity among opposition parties to remove President Tinubu from power in 2027.
Osadolor said, “It’s positive to see these leaders coming together to challenge President Tinubu in the 2027 election.
“They will work to save and restore the nation. More of these meetings are necessary to strengthen unity among opposition parties. They must do everything lawfully possible to rescue Nigeria.
“With PDP’s acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, overseeing these developments, I am convinced that the PDP leadership is supporting Atiku, Saraki, and Lamido. Thus, I believe that this rapport aims to unite the PDP and other major groups into a single force capable of not only defeating the APC-led Federal Government but also stabilising the economy and improving Nigeria’s functionality.”
On his part, the Chief Spokesman of Obi’s Presidential Campaign Organisation, Yunusa Tanko, explained that the closed-door meeting with the PDP bigwigs bordered on discussions on how to rescue the ‘soul of Nigeria’ from the clutch of the ruling APC.
He said, “I am not privy to their meetings. But what you are seeing are some of the long discussions we have had a long time ago. It is part of the discussions and efforts to battle for the soul of Nigeria.
“It is not a surprising thing for Obi to meet some of his political allies to discuss the situation of the country. That is the little that I can say for now.”
On the chances of Obi returning to the PDP or the possibility of a merger between the Labour Party and the PDP, Tanko said such talks would only remain in the realm of speculations.
“Well, not really. Those are the permutations of individuals. I don’t want to dwell on that. But this is still an ongoing discussion. His destination will reveal itself later. Some of these discussions (Obi returning to PDP) are offshoots of what has been happening since the last election.
“We need to wait and see how these discussions pan out. Let’s hope they bring a positive outcome in the long run,” he said.
When reached for comment, the LP National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, characterised the meeting as timely, saying additional meetings had been scheduled to occur.
He stated: “Yes, it was a meeting of like-minded individuals who believe there is a need for better leadership in our nation. They are people who see that Nigerians are suffering, not receiving what they bargained for, and observe corruption persisting in high places while Nigeria’s resources are mismanaged.
“They believe it’s the right time to unite and take action to address the challenges facing Nigeria today. Despite the government being barely a year old, Nigeria is facing difficult times under the APC administration, which seems directionless.
“This meeting is just the beginning; there will be further interactions and gatherings with other individuals. Together, they will brainstorm on how to rescue the nation. The party is fully aware of the meeting and is committed to working hard to achieve something significant for our country.”
Meanwhile, the APC has boasted that it was intimidated nor would it lose sleep following speculations that the Labour Party and the PDP might be planning a merger to wrest power from the ruling party.
The National Publicity Director of the APC, Bala Ibrahim, jeered at the thoughts of a merger to defeat his party.
Ibrahim said, “In a democracy, meeting of politicians is not forbidden. Parties, people and politicians can meet to decide what to do politically and democratically. As long as their meetings are not designed to derail democracy, there is nothing wrong with that.
“The PDP, Labour Party and others together were the same parties defeated by the APC. The ruling party took them to the cleaners where the president scored the highest votes. They are free to meet. But as they are meeting, so is the APC with a view to strengthening our support base to woo more people, based on the dividend of democracy extended to them by the president and our party.
“Obi’s meeting with Atiku and others is nothing to make the APC lose its sleep. You talked about the party being under pressure. How? These are parties that are increasingly losing grip and support. They are probably in a panic situation. Now, they want to sit and look at what to do with a view to increasing their support base ahead of 2027. But that is too long a time to go.
“This is also not to say we are going to be sleeping between now and when the time comes. We don’t talk about crossing the bridge until we get there. By that time, if they feel like coming out to merge, that will even be better for democracy. But whatever they resolve by 2027, we are going to beat them hands down.”
Reacting to the drama, a human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, and the President of the Nigerian Political Science Association, Professor Hassan Saliu, both concurred that the LP-PDP chieftains meeting appeared premature.
They also expressed concerns that the purported alliance might likely collapse before it is birthed.
In two separate interviews, the political analysts raised fear that supporters from both camps are unlikely to cooperate, raising questions on who should yield the presidential position to the other.
Effiong said, “It is premature to engage in discussions about 2027. I am unsure of the agenda of their meeting. They have the freedom of association. It is within their right to convene and discuss issues that interest them. However, if this pertains to the next general election, Nigerians will wait.
“Personally, I believe Atiku, in particular, should retire from the political scene. I don’t think he has age on his side, and I don’t think the dynamics of Nigerian politics favor his candidacy. But if they decide to form a coalition or alliance, it is up to them to present it to Nigerians, who will decide whether to align with them or not.”
Effiong, elaborating on the notion that Nigerians are focused on sustenance rather than the politics of 2027, mentioned that the PDP has played a role in the nation’s challenges, and citizens may not support them.
He continued “I think it is too early for this. Most Nigerians are focused on survival. We are dealing with a dire situation; the economy is in a poor state. So, it is too early for politics.
“I do not foresee a political alliance between the two of them, given how deeply divided their supporters are. Peter Obi’s supporters may not accept any alliance that would make him Atiku’s running mate. Moreover, the PDP, as a party, has contributed to the country’s problems.
“Therefore, forming an alliance will be challenging because their interests do not align. However, it is politics. Nigerians should wait and see what transpires. In my opinion, we should not overestimate the significance of their meeting.”
On his part, Saliu stated that, in practical terms, the alliance between Atiku and Obi would fail due to the pressure that would come from their supporters.
He stated “Both of them still have their sights set on the Presidency. But the question remains: who will yield to the other? Will they run on a joint ticket? Will Obi step down along with his impatient followers?
“The likely scenario is that they will aim to collaborate as a team. However, another scenario is that the alliance may fracture along the way. It’s unlikely that Atiku will concede to Obi, given his age and strong desire to become Nigeria’s President.
“However, in practical terms, it seems improbable. Some of Obi’s supporters will abandon him once he aligns with Atiku. Additionally, the number of Atiku’s followers is decreasing day by day. Therefore, there will be pressure on both of them, especially on Obi, not to form a joint ticket with Atiku.”
