PDP’s zoning presidency to south: Will Peter Obi return to his old stomping ground?

• Will he remain in the Labour Party that is dogged by division and infighting and slug it out with his detractors in the party? Will he cast his lot with the ADC coalition even when it appears it is cobbled together to satisfy the ambitions of Atiku or will he return to the PDP to give his presidential aspirations one final push on his old stomping ground?

Nigeria’s politicians are migratory in nature and move to where their goals can be realised and their interests can be protected. While a few of them have exemplary dispositions and creeds that can’t be compromised on, the majority are influenced by the inordinate quest for power and primitive acquisition of wealth, and where these two can be guaranteed is where you will find them. One of the few politicians who have not been smitten by the bug of jarring greed and callousness prevalent in Nigeria’s political space, and also demonstrated a relative altruism and selflessness, is former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi.

Obi is not a new face in Nigerian politics but the outcome of the 2023 presidential election has added a few more notches to his political belt and catapulted him straight to the top of the mainstream of Nigerian politics. So huge is the support base he has that many dispassionate observers and impartial commentators have reckoned that the African Democratic Congress coalition, which Obi has been flirting with for a while now, only stands a chance of defeating Tinubu if they field him as their presidential candidate.

In the build-up to the 2023 presidential election, Obi left the PDP after it became obvious he would not get the presidential ticket and went to the Labour Party. He secured the Labour Party presidential ticket and went on to contest the 2023 election. He came third in the highly controversial election that some people even claimed he won. Despite coming third, the outcome of the election saw his political mileage and capital soar and he became the beautiful lady that every politician in the opposition wants to have a dance with.

After the 2023 general election, the opposition came to the conclusion that if they were going to unseat the APC, they had to set aside their differences and join forces. They realised that competing against each other would only divide their votes, which then made it possible for the ruling party to keep winning elections and retain power. Realising the enormous task before them, they decided to form an opposition coalition and subsequently adopted the Africa Democratic Congress (ADC) as their party. Obi is one of the leading figures of the coalition, others are former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, former minister of transport, Rotimi Amaechi, former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, former Senate President, David Mark, former Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola, among others.

However, his attitude towards the coalition has been ambivalent. He has repeatedly said he is not against a coalition but he is against a coalition whose sole purpose is to grab power at all cost and does not give priority to the needs and welfare of Nigerians. Also, having made it clear that he would contest for the presidency again in 2027, the likelihood of Atiku also contesting may stop him from fully committing to or joining the ADC. He will not want to contest against Atiku in an open primary and won’t want to settle for vice presidential candidate.

However, PDP’s zoning of its presidential ticket to the south may change the permutations and dynamics of the 2023 presidential election. Many PDP stalwarts and leading figures have expressed their desire to have Obi back in the party. Obi himself has been chummy with some PDP leaders in recent times, even though he has kept his card close to his chest on his next move regarding the 2027 general elections. Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State described Obi as the opposition leader in the country. Speaking with newsmen on Monday, Benue Senator, Abba Moro, said the party is in talks with Peter Obi.

With the unfolding events in the nation’s political landscape, Nigerians, especially his supporters, wait to see Obi’s next step. Will he remain in the Labour Party that is dogged by division and infighting and slug it out with his detractors in the party? Will he cast his lot with the ADC coalition even when it appears it is cobbled together to satisfy the ambitions of Atiku or will he return to the PDP to give his presidential aspirations one final push on his old stomping ground?