2027; Atiku, Obi, Kwankwaso Set Aside Ambitions to Oust APC

Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar and his Labour Party (LP) counterpart, Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwanso of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) are reportedly dialoguing for a possible merger ahead of the 2027 polls. The opposition leaders aim to create a strong coalition to challenge the All Progressives Congress (APC) and “rescue Nigerians from hunger”. According to the deputy national spokesman for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ibrahim Abdullahi, the trio is prepared to set aside personal ambitions to create a strong coalition capable of challenging the ruling APC in 2027. Abdullahi stated, “We’ve lost Kwankwaso, we’ve lost Peter Obi, all of these people, imagine if they are in the party, we will have gone to win the elections.”

He further remarked that had the previous leadership of the party effectively managed internal disputes and conflicts, prominent figures such as former Rivers State governor Nyesom Wike, Kwankwaso, and Obi would likely still be active members of the PDP, which could have led to a victory over Tinubu of the APC in the last election. Abdullahi said, “Sure, discussion is ongoing. You will see Peter Obi discussing with Atiku, you will see Peter Obi meeting with (Nasir) El-Rufai. Party management is a very difficult thing and we are doing the best in the quagmire that we have found ourselves. Rest assured, there would light at the end of the tunnel. We have learnt our lessons in a bitter way.”

The PDP chieftain said salvaging Nigerians out of the present hardship is more important than the individual ambitions of the trio. He said, “Atiku is saying if it is better for him to get Nigeria out of this hopelessness, he would do so. He (Atiku) must not be in the race. “Atiku is saying that it is an entitlement to him as a democrat; the constitution provides for him that he could contest at any time.”