Peter Obi, the presidential candidate for the Labour Party (LP), dismissed as a rumor on Monday allegations that he is in talks with Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) over the potential of a merger.
According to reports, Obi, Atiku, and Kwankwaso have started discussions to create a strong opposition party that will successfully take on the All Progressives Congress (APC) in elections.
Additionally, it was stated that the three political figures who ran against President Bola Tinubu of the APC in the February 25 presidential election conducted several meetings to move the goal forward.
The reports state that Atiku and Kwankwaso first spoke before Obi spoke with PDP stakeholders.
According to The Punch, if Tinubu’s victory is declared invalid and a new election or rerun is mandated by the Presidential Victory Petition Tribunal, the planned merger would create a unified front to fight the APC.
Obi, Atiku, and Kwankwaso are reportedly considering establishing a strong political party that may unseat the APC in 2027 if the tribunal decides to affirm Tinubu’s victory.
However, in his Monday address to Labour Party members in Edo State, Obi opined that the claims are merely conjecture.
Before the state’s local government elections, Obi spoke at an LP rally in Benin.
Obi reportedly said this in response to rumors that he and Atiku and Kwankwaso were discussing a merger: “The Labour Party will continue to develop. We’ll keep getting better and stronger.
“Half of what you are hearing is a rumor; don’t pay attention to it.
We are determined to construct a better and new Nigeria in which we would transition the country from one of consumption to one of production.
Before switching over to the Labour Party, Obi belonged to the PDP.
He served as Atiku’s running partner in the PDP’s bid for the presidency in 2019.
Before departing for the LP, the former governor of Anambra State expressed intention in running for president on the PDP ticket in the general elections of 2023.
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) results, Tinubu of the APC won the February 25 presidential election, with Atiku, Obi, and Kwankwaso coming in second, third, and fourth, respectively.
Tinubu’s election is being contested at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal by Obi and Atiku.
Atiku, Obi, and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) have filed a case challenging Tinubu’s election, and the tribunal has deferred judgment on their claims.
In the meantime, Obi advised the party’s candidates to make sure they keep their campaign promises if they win the election while speaking further at the LP event in Edo State on Monday.
Obi is also anticipated in Owerri, Imo State, where he will serve as the main guest of honor at the launch of Athan Achonu’s campaign for governor of the state on November 11.
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