Presidential candidate of the Labour Party at the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has addressed the possibility of a merger between the LP and the Peoples Democratic Party.
Speaking in an interview with NoireTV-GlobalBlackTV released on YouTube on Saturday, Obi also reacted to the prospect of being supported as a Southeast candidate in the 2027 presidential election by Atiku Abubakar, the PDP’s 2023 flagbearer.
The former Anambra state governor, expressed gratitude for Abubakar’s statement about potentially supporting him as a result of the South-East candidate. “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 added.
He however maintained that his major concern is not personal ambition or political maneuvering, but rather the well-being of Nigeria and its people. “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 said.
On the subject of a potential merger between the PDP and LP, Obi expressed openness to the idea, provided that the goal is to better govern Nigeria and unlock its vast 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 stated.
Meanwhile, on the idea of a potential merger between the PDP and LP, Obi expressed openness to the idea, provided that the goal is to better govern Nigeria and unlock its vast 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.
Obi clarified that he has no interest in mergers or alliances solely to secure power or win 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.
Obi stressed the importance of unity and cooperation among individuals and parties, but only if the objective 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 added.
Recall that the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, and his Labour Party (LP) counterpart, Peter Obi, met privately in Abuja earlier this month amid speculation that the meeting was not unconnected to a plan for a party merger.
