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Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the last election, has said if in 2027 his party should zone the presidency to the Southeast, he will give Mr Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party his full support.
He said this in recent interview with BBC Hausa Service.
Atiku during the interview said that it was too early to determine if he would run for the presidency in the upcoming elections, adding that members of the party would decide his fate in the 2027 general elections.
He revealed that his recent meeting with Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi might be an indication of possible alliance leading up to the 2027 general elections.
While responding to questions about the meeting with the former governor of Anambra State, Atiku said, “It’s just a normal friendly meeting that we often have, particularly among us in the opposition parties. Such meetings are healthy for Nigeria’s democracy and in the country’s interest.”
On whether this will bring about a merger, he said, “Yes, it’s very much possible. We can merge to achieve a common goal. So, it’s possible, and nothing can stop it if we wish to achieve that.”
Atiku, who denied that the choice of presidential candidate might frustrate the merger discussion, said, “That’s not true. That challenge will not arise. I can tell you that the choice of who will fly the flag of the party won’t be an issue.”
He stated that if in 2027 the party determines that it is the South-East’s turn and selects Peter Obi, he will readily offer his support.
Atiku stated, ”I have said repeatedly and I even said it before the 2023 general elections that if PDP decides to zone the presidential ticket to the South or South-East specifically, I won’t contest it. As long as it’s the decision of the party, I will abide by it. But I contested the 2023 presidential ticket because it was thrown open to all members of the party.
“If the party decides that it’s the turn of the South-East and Peter Obi is chosen, I won’t hesitate to support him.”
