Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate for the 2023 election, has addressed the possibility of a merger between the Labour Party (LP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2027 presidential election.
Punch Online reports that in a recent interview on NoireTV-GlobalBlackTV, released on YouTube on Saturday, Obi also responded to comments made by Atiku Abubakar, the PDP’s 2023 presidential candidate, regarding the potential of supporting a Southeast candidate in the next election.
Obi expressed gratitude for Abubakar’s supportive statements.
“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 said.
However, Obi emphasized that his main focus is not on personal ambition but on the welfare of Nigeria and its citizens.
“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 stated.
Regarding the potential merger between the PDP and LP, Obi showed openness to the idea, as long as the objective is to improve governance in Nigeria.
“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 was clear that he is not interested in mergers or alliances solely for the purpose of winning elections or gaining power.
“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 declared.
The former Anambra State governor stressed the importance of unity and cooperation among individuals and parties, but only if the goal is to build a better Nigeria.
He said, “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.”