On Monday, Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections, undertook what close associates described as “private visits” to the homes of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Jigawa State governor Sule Lamido in Abuja, News About Nigeria reports.
Details of the discussions during these visits remain shrouded in secrecy.
However, Atiku first announced Obi’s visit on his Twitter handle, expressing his delight at receiving him.
It’s worth noting that Obi served as Atiku’s running mate during the 2019 presidential election.
A close associate of Obi confirmed that he also paid a similar visit to Sule Lamido.
Atiku shared photos of their meeting on social media with the caption: “It was my honour and privilege to host @PeterObi today.”
Meanwhile, Paul Ibe, Atiku’s spokesperson, revealed in an interview that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, played a significant role in Peter Obi’s departure from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
He disclosed this during an appearance on Seun Okinbaloye’s Mic On podcast, released on Saturday.
According to Ibe, Wike was instrumental in Obi’s exit from the PDP due to his advocacy for zoning the presidency to the south.
He explained that Atiku had expressed a willingness to step aside from the ticket if the party zoned it to the southeast.
However, Wike’s push for zoning to the broader south, rather than just the southeast, hindered this effort.
Ibe said that Wike’s actions frustrated the possibility of Atiku voluntarily stepping aside from the ticket, as he believed that a southern zone other than the southeast would give him a better chance of securing the nomination.
