Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, has expressed openness to a potential merger between the Labour Party and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2027 presidential election, provided certain conditions are met. This revelation came during an interview on NoireTV-GlobalBlackTV, which was released on YouTube on Saturday.
In the interview, Obi addressed comments made by Atiku Abubakar, the PDP’s 2023 presidential candidate, about potentially supporting a Southeast candidate in the next election. “I commend him and I’m grateful for his statements, especially where he said he will support me if it (the presidential ticket) goes to the South East,” Obi said.
Obi emphasized that his primary focus is not on personal political ambitions but on the overall improvement of Nigeria. “I’m not desperate to be president, I’m desperate to see Nigeria work, especially for the poor people because we have a lot of potential,” he stated.
Regarding a potential merger between the PDP and LP, Obi expressed that he is open to the idea if the objective is to enhance governance and unlock Nigeria’s potential. “If the merger is to be able to govern Nigeria properly, unlock all those things that will make Nigeria a better place, I’m for it,” he said.
However, Obi made it clear that he would not support a merger or alliance that is merely aimed at securing power or winning elections. “If it’s just a merger for election or state capture, I’m not for it or part of it, I don’t want to be part of anything like that,” he asserted.
The former governor of Anambra State also stressed the importance of unity and cooperation among political parties and individuals, but only if the goal is to build a better Nigeria. “It might be at the party level, it might be at the individual level, might be at any level, but we must come together to be able to build a better Nigeria,” he concluded.
