Main opposition Peoples Democratic Party says it is not in merger talks with any political party ahead of the 2027 election.
Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, had a few weeks ago had a private meeting in Abuja with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and several key PDP members.
Obi also met separately with former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido ,and former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, creating rumours of a potential merger before the 2027 general elections.
The LP presidential candidate in the 2023 election was a member of the PDP until 2022 when he left to join the LP.
Obi finished third behind Atiku in the February 23 presidential election, which was won by Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress.
Following the meeting, both Atiku and Obi hinted in separate interviews at the possibility of a merger.
But in its reaction, the PDP National Working Committee, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, on Wednesday, after its 587th meeting in Abuja reiterated that the PDP is not in any merger or amalgamation talks with any other political party.
The statement partly read, “The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party after its 587th meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, restates for the umpteenth time that the PDP is not engaged in any merger, fusion or amalgamation talks with any other political Party or interest.
“While the PDP, as a truly people’s party, is open and welcoming to all Nigerians including our former members who left for other parties, we state that our party remains strong and formidable, capable of winning elections in a free, fair, and transparent electoral process in our country.
“The NWC acknowledges the influx of millions of Nigerians into our party in the ongoing party membership drive in all the electoral wards across the country; which further confirms that the PDP remains the party of choice for the majority of Nigerians.
“The public, teeming members of our great party, democracy knstitutions, and of course the international community should therefore disregard any report suggesting any form of merger between the PDP and any other political party as such is not in the contemplation of our great party.”
