The camps of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the 2023 presidential flagbearer of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, have denied having discussions for a joint ticket ahead of the 2027 election.
Social media were awash with news that the duo may be seeking to work together again after photos of Atiku hosting Obi to a breakfast at his residence in Adamawa State went viral.
Atiku shared a video of their meeting on his official X account on Saturday.
His caption read, “It is breakfast time with my friend, #PeterObi, in the ‘land of beauty.”
The video featured the two leaders, alongside others, seated together at a dining table, ready to have their meal.
The development comes a few months after the Deputy National Spokesman of the PDP, Ibrahim Abdullahi, publicly announced on a live political programme that the leading opposition figures in the country were discussing the possibility of a merger to salvage the country from total collapse.
Abdullahi made the statement in penultimate Monday’s edition of Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme.
The PDP spokesman reiterated that the trio of Atiku, Obi and his counterpart in the New Nigeria People’s Party, Rabiu Kwankwaso, were willing to set aside their differences to form a formidable alliance to kick the ruling All Progressives Congress out of government.
Reacting to Saturday’s meeting, Atiku’s spokesman, Paul Ibe, said the rendezvous was more of a reunion between two old friends.
He said, “Let us not jump the gun. The fact is that Obi accepted to be the keynote speaker at the 20th anniversary of AUN and the 16th Founder’s Day, which was a milestone. Obi is part of that celebration.
“The university was founded by Atiku Abubakar, who was more like his host. But people think it is because of politics. We all know our friends. The truth is that politics cannot separate friends.
“So Atiku invited him to breakfast and from there, they went for the programme. I think that is what happened.”
Obi’s media aide, Ibrahim Umar, also denied that the Adamawa breakfast meeting was a dress rehearsal for the 2027 joint ticket.
Umar said it was laughable to imagine that Nigerians would always add a political undertone to every meeting that involves party bigwigs like the duo.
“No, there was nothing like that. They just invited him (Obi) to deliver a speech there. It has nothing to do with politics. Of course, you know people will always assume things,” he explained.
(Punch)
