THE Anambra State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged the Labour Party’s Presidential candidate in the 2023 Presidential Election, Peter Obi, to return to the party.
Obi was PDP’s vice presidential candidate in the 2019 general election, with former vice president Atiku Abubakar.
In a communiqué signed by the PDP chairman in the state, Chidi Chidebe, the party advised Obi that joining a coalition ahead of the 2027 election would not yield success.
The communiqué stated, “The committee extends an open invitation to all aggrieved and former members of the PDP in Anambra, particularly our revered former governor, Mr Peter Obi, to return home and reunite with the now rejuvenated and restructured PDP.
“We will gladly welcome our brothers and sisters back to join us in the collective quest for a better Nigeria.”
“We call on the good people of Anambra to remain steadfast in their historic support for the PDP and to come out en masse to vote for our candidates.”
Peter Obi, Atiku, and other politicians have been in discussion over a coalition movement to unseat President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
Paul Ibe, Atiku’s spokesman, said his principal and other political heavyweights like Obi, a former Kaduna State governor, and Nasir El-Rufai are in talks over plans to float a coalition.
“Well, you and I know that there have been ongoing discussions between Atiku Abubakar and some opposition leaders: Peter Obi, Nasir El-Rufai,” Ibe said during a television interview.
“Yes, it’s out there in the open. Discussion is still ongoing, and at the end of that discussion, they will come out with a position and the direction that we’re going to follow based on the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians.”
When asked if both men would be on the same ticket, Ibe said, “What I’m saying, in effect, is that that ticket was viable in 2019, and it’s still viable today.
“But it is left to the individuals to be able to come to a determination as to how they proceed. So, let us not go ahead of them. They are talking,” Ibe said.
El-Rufai, a two-time governor of Kaduna State under the APC, left the party earlier in the year, citing several personal and political reasons. He teamed up with the Social Democratic Party (SDP), a platform many touted to host the coalition.