Key Points
- PDP plans consultations with Atiku and Obi to rebuild national influence for 2027 elections.
- ADC and Obidient Movement reject PDP’s outreach, citing party crises and recent defections.
- PDP maintains ongoing talks with key leaders, including former presidents, to strengthen opposition strategy.
A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party says it plans to meet with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, as part of efforts to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress in the 2027 elections.
The PDP’s South-South Chairman, Emmanuel Ogidi, said the talks are part of wider consultations aimed at rebuilding the party’s national strength.
Atiku was the PDP’s presidential candidate in 2023 and also ran on the party’s ticket in 2019, with Obi as his running mate.
He served as vice president between 1999 and 2007 under the PDP. Both Atiku and Obi have since joined the African Democratic Congress.
Ogidi Highlights Party Consultations
Speaking on Channels Television, Ogidi said the party believes dialogue with key political figures is necessary to revive the PDP’s influence.
He said the party had already met with former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Ibrahim Babangida, and plans to also meet Obi and Atiku.
“We’re reaching out to important leaders to show that the PDP is still alive and moving,” Ogidi said. “Yes, we have plans to meet Peter Obi. We also plan to meet Atiku Abubakar.”
His comments drew quick reactions from the Obidient Movement and the ADC, both of which questioned the PDP’s ability to win back the two politicians.
The Obidient Movement said the PDP’s internal crisis makes it an unattractive option for Obi.
The ADC, meanwhile, asked how the PDP planned to woo leaders who had just left the party and openly backed a new political path.
PDP Faces Challenges Amid Opposition Moves
Earlier this week, members of the PDP National Working Committee met with former President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja. The delegation was led by the party’s national chairman, Tanimu Turaki.
After the meeting, Turaki said Jonathan confirmed he remains a card-carrying PDP member and is willing to support the party’s activities.
He described Jonathan’s assurance as encouraging as the party prepares for off-season elections in Ekiti and Osun states, as well as the 2027 polls.
Sources within the PDP said consultations are ongoing and that discussions are being held behind closed doors to shape possible alliances ahead of the election.
However, Atiku’s camp dismissed claims that the PDP is leading opposition talks.
His media adviser, Paul Ibe, said the ADC is already engaging with other parties and individuals interested in forming a broad opposition front against the APC.
According to him, the ADC remains the best platform for opposition cooperation going forward.
The ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, also questioned the PDP’s outreach efforts, pointing to leadership disputes within the party.
“Which Atiku? Which Obi?” Abdullahi said. “They just joined the ADC. Who is the PDP even inviting them back to?”
He added that the ADC is open to working with any group willing to challenge the APC, noting that politics is about numbers.
The PDP, which ruled Nigeria from 1999 to 2015, has struggled with internal divisions since losing the 2023 elections. Two rival groups currently claim control of the party’s national leadership.
Meanwhile, the Obidient Movement has firmly rejected any suggestion that Obi could return to the PDP.
Its National Coordinator, Yunusa Tanko, said the party’s unresolved disputes make any invitation unrealistic.
“You’re inviting someone back to where?” Tanko asked. “A party with serious internal problems needs to fix itself first.”
