- PDP said Abdullahi’s remark stems from fear of its growing momentum to defeat APC in the 2027 general elections.
- The party claimed it would not engage ADC or any other opposition group despite repeated provocations from their officials.
The Peoples Democratic Party has faulted Bolaji Abdullahi, interim national publicity secretary of the African Democratic Congress, over his comment about Peter Obi.
Abdullahi had stated that Obi would not return to the PDP because the party is allegedly under the control of the All Progressives Congress.
“Everyone knows that the jugular of PDP is still in the hands of the ruling party,” he said.
“Peter Obi, more than anyone else, knows that he cannot take the risk of going to the PDP.”
Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party in 2023, is currently in the opposition coalition that adopted the ADC as its 2027 platform.
There has been increasing speculation that Obi may return to the PDP, amid doubts over his chances of clinching the ADC ticket.
Last week, Gerry Gana, a founding member of the PDP, said the party had reached out to Obi to return.
Also on Monday, former Borno governor, Ali Modu Sheriff, predicted Obi would return to the PDP before the 2027 election.
Reacting, Debo Ologunagba, PDP national publicity secretary, described Abdullahi’s statement as “an unprovoked public verbal assault”.
He said Abdullahi is “known for his roles as chief image maker and defender” of the APC and accused him of being “reckless and revealing”.
“It is rather unfortunate that the APC-indoctrinated Abdullahi is apparently unhappy that the PDP is building momentum against the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections, hence this resort to attacking the PDP instead of confronting the APC,” the statement read.
“In any case the PDP, as the leading opposition Party, commanding the respect, loyalty and solidarity of overwhelming majority of Nigerians across the country and which is also the broad-based platform driving the aspiration of Nigerians to oust the APC in 2027, will not descend to join issues with the ADC or any other opposition Party in the country for that matter.”
“Instead, the PDP, with its track record of performance, which Nigerians still recall with nostalgia, will continue to vigorously challenge the failed APC on issues while shaping constructive national discourse and galvanising Nigerians towards voting out the APC and installing a people-oriented government on the platform of our Party, come 2027.”
He added that despite some defections, Nigerians still stand with the PDP.
“The PDP, therefore, remains the Party that has the support base, connections, national spread and political muscle to unseat the APC,” Ologunagba said.
He noted that the PDP has “more than enough presidential personalities with clear records of achievement and capacity to defeat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at any time”.