The former presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has refuted claims of ongoing merger discussions with the Peoples Democratic Party, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), or any other political party.
Obi refuted the claims during a press conference held in Abuja on Thursday morning while speaking on the state of the nation.
He contested the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the Labour Party after defecting from the PDP, upon which he contested the 2019 presidential election as the running mate to the party’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
In the 2019 presidential election, then incumbent Muhammadu Buhari defeated Atiku/Obi while Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) emerged victorious, winning in 12 of Nigeria’s 36 states and securing significant support across the country.
Tinubu garnered a total of 8,794,726 votes, almost two million more than his closest rival, Atiku Abubakar of the PDP.
Obi meanwhile came third in the election.
Talks of merger/alliance have continued to dominate the political landscape with a year to go before the political contest ahead of the 2027 election begins.
Parties must organize their primary election in 2026. Supporters of the Labour Party as well as those of the PDP, NNPP and other fringe parties are worried that late merger could scupper the opposition’s chances of defeating the incumbent.
While Atiku of the PDP and Musa Kwankwaso of the NNPP have indicated interest towards the merger/alliance, Obi said on Thursday that no agreements or collaborations have been reached with any party.
Instead, he called on all Nigerians to come together in preparation for the 2027 elections, urging a unified effort to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress.
He said, “There are no merger talks with any party at this moment.
“We must focus on unity and collective action to bring about the change Nigerians desire.”
Also, Obi expressed deep concerns over the country’s deteriorating security situation, describing it as tragic.
He stressed the urgent need for comprehensive measures to address the escalating insecurity across Nigeria.