2027 Merger Permutations: Peter Obi, Atiku’s Position Will Be Made Known When The Time Comes

Abdulrasheed Shehu, an aide to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has said the idea of a merger or alliance with the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, remains a possibility.

Atiku and Peter Obi reignited discussions around the possibility of both uniting for a run at the 2027 presidential election after their Saturday meeting in Yola.

Obi was the keynote speaker at the 20th anniversary of the American University of Nigeria (AUN), which Atiku owns.

Although spokespersons for both politicians denied any political undertones to the invitation, social media was abuzz, especially after Atiku posted a video of the breakfast meeting with Peter Obi at his Yola home.

However, there are speculations that the meeting was part of preparations for the 2027 presidential race, as the crises within the Labour Party and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) show no signs of resolution.

An X user, Theo Agada, wrote, “Repeat the 2019 ticket and promise to do one term. Then watch the Nigerian people do their thing.” 

Quoting Atiku’s tweet, the LP’s Lagos State governorship candidate in the last election, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour,  wrote: “We must form a united opposition to end this T-pain remix that we are all featuring in,” referencing the current hardship in the country.”

In a post via his X handle, Doyin Okupe, who served as Peter Obi’s campaign director but recently switched allegiance to President Bola Tinubu, offered a different perspective.

He said, “The politically naive, ignorant, or bigoted have always insulted me whenever I state that politics is a game, not religion. No permanent friends, no permanent enemies, only permanent interests! Interesting times ahead. We now move from Consumption to Absorption. End of discussion!”

However, speaking with Daily Trust, Abdulrasheed Shehu clarified that there was no discussion about the 2027 election or a merger during Peter Obi and Atiku’s meeting on Saturday.

He noted that the two politicians would make their position on possible mergers known at the appropriate time.

He said, “There was no conversation around 2027. He only welcomed Obi to Yola and had breakfast with him, after which they went to AUN together where Obi gave a powerful lecture. But you know, Oga (Atiku) is the one who started the call for a coalition of opposition leaders after the 2023 general elections to defeat the APC in the next election. When the time comes, their position will be made known.”