Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has pledged to back Peter Obi if the party chooses to reserve its 2027 presidential ticket for the South-East region.
News About Nigeria reports that Atiku disclosed in a recent interview with the BBC Hausa Service.
He stated that he has always maintained that if the PDP decides to zone the presidential ticket to the South or South-East specifically, he will not contest it.
“If the party decides that it’s the turn of the South-East and Peter Obi is chosen, I won’t hesitate to support him,” Atiku said.
Atiku, who contested the 2023 presidential election, stated that he did so because the ticket was open to all members of the party.
The former Vice President also hinted at a possible merger between the PDP and the Labour Party, stating that it is very much possible and nothing can stop it if the parties wish to achieve that.
He denied that the choice of presidential candidate might frustrate the merger discussion, stating that the challenge would not arise.
Atiku, who recently met with Peter Obi and other PDP leaders, stated that the meeting was a normal friendly meeting that they often have, particularly among opposition parties. He said that such meetings are healthy for Nigeria’s democracy and in the country’s interest.
Regarding his 2027 presidential ambition, Atiku stated that it depends on the decision of his party, and he cannot make any categorical statement on that. According to him, it is the duty of the party to decide on the way to go in the next election.
The meeting between Atiku and Peter Obi sparked speculation about a possible coalition for the 2027 general elections. Obi, who was a PDP member until 2022, left to pursue his presidential ambitions with the Labour Party. He finished third behind Atiku in the February 23 presidential election, which was won by Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress.
Many have argued that Atiku’s 6,984,520 votes combined with Obi’s 6,101,533 votes could have secured a win against Tinubu, who received 8,794,726 votes.
In 2019, Atiku and Obi ran together on the PDP ticket but were defeated by former President Muhammadu Buhari of the APC.
Monday’s meeting was the first public interaction between Obi and Atiku since the election.
