The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has dismissed growing speculation that former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, may be plotting a return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
According to the party, the PDP is no longer a credible platform for any serious political contender.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Monday, ADC spokesperson Bolaji Abdullahi claimed the PDP is effectively under the control of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and that Peter Obi, would not take such a “risk.”
“Everyone knows that the jugular of PDP is still in the hands of APC,” Abdullahi said. “Peter Obi, more than anyone else, knows that he can’t take the risk of going to the PDP.”
His comments came in response to growing rumours suggesting that Obi, who finished third in the 2023 presidential election, may be reconsidering the PDP as a potential platform for the 2027 polls. The rumours gained traction after former Borno State Governor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, claimed on Channels Television that Obi was on his way back to the PDP to contest the 2027 presidency.
“As far as this politics is concerned, they (ADC) don’t exist. The information available to me is that any moment from now, Peter Obi will go back to PDP and run as a presidential candidate under PDP,” Sheriff had said.
However, Abdullahi has described the PDP as a compromised party plagued by defections and allegiance to the APC.
“You see PDP governors leaving PDP every day to join the ruling party. You hear PDP governors endorsing President Tinubu as their preferred candidate for 2027. You see PDP bigwigs saying that they no longer believe in this party because it has been compromised,” he added.
Abdullahi insisted that the former Anambra governor remain a member of the coalition.
“Not per se, clearly that Peter Obi is in the coalition regardless of what anybody is saying,” he noted.
“But it is good to see that it has taken the coming on board of the ADC to get PDP to begin to make some movement,” he added.
On the issue of the party’s possible flagbearer in 2027, Abdullahi said, “Our party is one month old. We are not having any conversation about who will be the flagbearer at the moment. We are focused on developing the party, building structures, and establishing systems that demonstrate our commitment to democracy.”
“We are preoccupied with developing our party. We are building the structure and putting in place the necessary system that would show Nigerians that we are indeed a democratic party,” he said.
“The question of who becomes the flagbearer of the party is a question we are going to answer down the line, and we are going to do so in a very democratic and transparent way.”
It is understood that the PDP, however, has remained open about its desire to welcome Peter Obi back.
PDP elder statesman Professor Jerry Gana recently revealed that talks were ongoing with Obi and other prominent southern politicians as part of the party’s repositioning strategy ahead of 2027. Similarly, PDP Deputy National Publicity Secretary Ibrahim Abdullahi described Obi as “a very, very great capital for any political party.”
“Peter Obi is our product. We want to get him back, indeed,” Abdullahi said.
Obi, who was PDP’s vice presidential candidate in 2019 and later left to join the Labour Party in 2022, has not issued a definitive response since the reports of the renewed PDP overtures emerged.
