Fresh speculation that former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, may return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has stirred unease within the emerging opposition coalition led by the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Concerns are growing that Obi’s potential defection could fracture the unity of the opposition, especially as the coalition under the ADC is beginning to gain traction among the electorate.
The speculation intensified on Monday following comments by former Borno State Governor, Ali Modu Sheriff, who revealed during an appearance on Channels TV’s *Politics Today* that intelligence reports suggest Obi is considering a comeback to the PDP to contest its 2027 presidential ticket.
“Peter Obi wants to be President. Atiku has been Vice President, and for him, it’s President or nothing,” Sheriff said.
Obi, who served as Atiku Abubakar’s running mate in the 2019 presidential election under the PDP, left the party in 2022 to contest the 2023 election under the Labour Party.
A day before Sheriff’s remarks, PDP founding member and elder statesman, Professor Jerry Gana, confirmed that efforts were underway to reach out to Obi and other former members of the party.
“Yes, why not?” Gana responded when asked if the PDP was wooing Obi back. “He was our member. In fact, if I were the former Vice President, I would have in 2023 said, ‘No, Peter, you were my vice-presidential candidate in 2019. Now, I’ll support you.’ It would have been a strong statement.”
Gana, who is leading the PDP’s reconciliation team, confirmed that he has met with Obi and some close associates, emphasizing that the party is approaching the matter with strategic caution.
The PDP has since zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to the South, a move widely seen as a deliberate gesture to attract Obi and other influential southern politicians.
The party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi, added to the speculation by describing Obi as “a very, very great capital for any political party,” stating that “Peter Obi is our product. We want to get him back.”
Should Obi rejoin the PDP, observers say it could jeopardize the cohesion of the opposition bloc, which currently hinges much of its credibility and popular support on his participation.
Reacting to the rumoured defection, Bolaji Abdullahi, spokesperson for the ADC, warned Obi against returning to the PDP.
“Regardless of what anybody is saying, it is good to see that it has taken the coming on board of ADC to get PDP to begin to make some movements. Peter Obi, more than anyone else, knows that he cannot take the risk of going to the PDP,” Abdullahi stated on Arise TV’s *Prime Time* programme.
Meanwhile, Obi has denied making any comments about rejoining the PDP or distancing himself from the ADC coalition. A statement issued by his media office, signed by Ibrahim Umar of Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR), clarified his position.
“Peter Obi has been unequivocal in his position in the ongoing coalition and didn’t need anyone to put words into his mouth. He has remained focused on his mission but would not accept anybody attributing a statement to him just to satisfy their devious agenda. The media office wishes, therefore, to urge the public to disregard any statement purported to come from him outside his media office or his official handle,” the statement read.
Attempts by *Daily Post* to obtain further clarification from Yunusa Tanko, National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, were unsuccessful as calls and messages went unanswered.
Weighing in on the matter, Nduka Odo, a public affairs analyst and communication scholar at Peaceland University, Enugu, said Obi’s political manoeuvres were causing unease across party lines, including within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Obi’s unpredictable moves are rattling not only those he attended ADC coalition meetings with. It confuses the ruling party. The only clear thing Obi has said so far is that he is contesting as a presidential candidate in 2027. It’s yet unclear which platform,” Odo said.
He further cautioned Obi against returning to the PDP, arguing that the party had been reduced to a shadow of its former self.
“The PDP question remains the most illusive. I would not advise Obi to return to the PDP after the party has been left as a carcass. The former ruling party, at the national level, is left with nothing but a lost glory wound round the fingertip of Wike for him to toy with. Wike has the party on hold. And he’s holding PDP down on a trust for Tinubu. Obi shouldn’t think about going there, except he wants to be a caricature of the President and FCT minister,” he said.
Odo also criticized the PDP’s recent zoning of the 2027 presidential ticket to the South.
“If PDP thinks that zoning the ticket to the South at a time the party is in a coma is a great act, then, Wike should clinch the ticket since he said Atiku destabilised the zoning formula in 2023,” he added.
Offering further advice, Odo said, “Obi already knows that the reason they try to predict his next move is so that they instantly frustrate him there. He studied philosophy, and the staccato strategy he employs is the only thing that will keep him going.”
He urged the ADC coalition to brace for more political pressure, noting that Obi has become the main target across political divides due to his popularity and wide support base.
“It isn’t surprising that the Tinubu team takes it easy on Atiku. There must be some access to a top secret that prompted Obi to become the main target. I see that as the unprecedented followership he commands,” Odo concluded.
To Nigerians, he added, “We must be smart enough to understand that these are politicians. We should know what we need as a nation. We should objectively compare the personalities, humanness, and records of these candidates, and choose the right one. That’s the only way we can move from having 133 million extremely poor Nigerians as of today to having a Nigeria where nobody sleeps hungry.”
