Real reason Atiku met with Peter Obi, Atiku’s aide clarifies

Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and his Labour Party (LP), counterpart, Peter Obi, on Monday met had a closed door meeting.

Obi also met separately with a former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, and former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, a development that sparked speculation about a potential coalition ahead of the 2027 general election.

In 2019, both Atiku and Obi ran on the PDP joint ticket but were defeated by former President Muhammadu Buhari of the APC.

But due to internal conflicts, Obi, who served as Atiku’s running mate in 2019, left the PDP and contested the 2023 presidential election as the LP candidate.

Speaking on Monday, Atiku’s media adviser, Paul Ibe, confirmed that Obi’s meeting with Atiku lasted approximately 20 minutes.

Atiku’s aide suggested the potential for a coalition ahead of the 2027 presidential election, adding that the details of the meeting wouldn’t be shared in the media.

He stated, “Yes, Peter Obi visited Atiku Abubakar. They met for about 20 minutes behind closed doors, so we wouldn’t know what was said, and they didn’t disclose anything to us.

“Since Atiku Abubakar mentioned coalition discussions and such, I believe that both of them must have been engaged in dialogue. And I did mention that they wouldn’t be discussing it in the media. So, they have indeed been in discussions and it is just a matter of those discussions bearing fruit.

“Regarding the coalition talks, perhaps it is already underway. The possibility does exist.”