The Digest:
Speculation is mounting that Peter Obi, Labour Party's 2023 presidential candidate, may be considering a return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2027 elections. This potential move is causing significant unease within the emerging opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), threatening to destabilize Unity's Path for a stronger challenge to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Key Points:
- Rumours of Obi's return to PDP gained traction after former Borno State Governor Ali Modu Sheriff suggested he was weighing a PDP presidential ticket bid for 2027.
- PDP founding member Prof. Jerry Gana confirmed the party is actively reaching out to Obi and other former aggrieved members for their return.
- Gana, leading the PDP's lobbying efforts, stated "conversations have begun" with Obi's inner circle, with a "step by step" reintegration plan.
- The PDP has strategically zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to the South, seen as an open invitation to Obi and other influential southern politicians.
- ADC spokesman Bolaji Abdullahi warned Obi against returning to the PDP, stating he "cannot take the risk" and remains part of the ADC coalition.
- Peter Obi's media office disowned a statement denying a PDP move, affirming Obi's focus on the ongoing coalition without needing others to speak for him.
- A public affairs analyst, Nduka Odo, advised Obi against rejoining the PDP, describing it as a "carcass" controlled by political figures like Nyesom Wike.
- Odo suggested Obi's "unpredictable moves" are unsettling both the ADC coalition and the ruling APC.
Sources: Daily Post
