Abdulrasheed Shehu, an assistant to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has stated that a merger or coalition with the Labour Party’s (LP) 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, remains a possibility.
Following their Saturday encounter in Yola, Atiku and Peter Obi rekindled discussions about the prospect of both running for president in 2027.
Obi was the main speaker during the 20th anniversary of Atiku’s American University of Nigeria (AUN).
Although both politicians’ spokespersons denied that the invitation had any political implications, social media was buzzing, especially after Atiku shared a video of his breakfast meeting with Peter Obi at his Yola home.
However, there are rumors that the conference was part of preparations for the 2027 presidential contest, since the conflicts inside the Labour Party and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) show no indications of resolution.
Theo Agada, an X user, stated, “Repeat the 2019 ticket and promise to complete one term.” Then watch Nigerians do their thing.”
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Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the LP’s Lagos State governorship candidate in the last election, quoted Atiku’s tweet and wrote: “We must form a united opposition to end this T-pain remix that we are all featuring in,” referring to the country’s current difficulty.
Doyin Okupe, Peter Obi’s campaign director who just shifted allegiance to President Bola Tinubu, presented a contrasting perspective in a post on his X Twitter.
He stated, “The politically naive, uninformed, or intolerant have always attacked me when I say that politics is a game, not religion. No permanent friends or foes, only permanent interests! Interesting times lie ahead. We now transition from consumption to absorption. End of conversation!”
Abdulrasheed Shehu, speaking with Daily Trust, revealed that Peter Obi and Atiku did not discuss the 2027 election or a merger at their meeting on Saturday.
He stated that the two lawmakers would make their positions on potential mergers public at the proper time.
He said, “There was no discussion about 2027. He merely welcomed Obi to Yola and had breakfast with him before accompanying him to AUN to deliver a great presentation. But, as you are aware, Oga (Atiku) initiated the call for an opposition leader alliance following the 2023 general elections in order to defeat the APC in the next election. When the time comes, their position will be made public.”
