Former member of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Yusuf, has dismissed the possibility of an alliance between Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Reports of an alliance between Obi and Atiku, presidential candidates in the 2023 elections, gained momentum following a meeting between the pair a few weeks ago.
Obi was Atiku’s running mate in the 2019 presidential election won by Muhammadu Buhari.
Reacting to talks about the possibility of both men forming an alliance ahead of the 2027 polls, Tajudeen expressed his doubts.
“They worked together in 2019, and it would not be out of place if they work together again. However, I am not in their mind, and I don’t see the possibility,” he said on Monday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today.
“They met a few days ago, and after the meeting, Atiku Abubakar came out to say he would continue to contest as long as he’s alive and healthy. To me, that was to send the signal, especially to the media, who were running with the notion that Atiku Abubakar might step down and shelve his political ambition for Peter Obi, but the follow-up statement a week later clarified that.
“So, I think Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi will contest. If the two of them can reach a compromise, fantastic for the opposition, but I doubt if such would happen. I love the statement made by the spokesperson of the Obi campaign organization; he clearly stated that this talk between individuals had to be subjected to the individual parties.
Tajudeen stated that even if there is going to be a merger, which of the parties would be the leading party, which he feels naturally should be PDP, but whether Obi would be ready to play second fiddle in this arrangement.
“People use their APC merger. PDP had ruled for 16 years, so it was a natural desire for people to see a change. APP, which was like the equivalent of PDP in 1999, was further weakened to the point that it had just one or two states. As of 1999 when PDP and APP contested, they were almost on an equal level, but PDP had a slight edge. But by 2014, ACN, which was even a regional party, was even stronger than APP.
“So it was obvious that there was a need for those mergers, and at that time, the ACN was under the strong control of the current president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. So presently, can Obi move Labour into a merger, with what is happening in Labour now? I doubt it. The moment Peter Obi is not a candidate, he wouldn’t have that kind of cult following in a merger.”
