The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it is actively working behind the scenes to woo former Anambra State governor and Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, back into its fold ahead of the 2027 general elections.
This was disclosed by the party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi, during an interview on Arise News Thursday night, where he described Obi as a “great political asset” and “a product of the PDP.”
Obi, who ran as vice presidential candidate under the PDP in 2019, left the party in 2022 to join the Labour Party, where he emerged as the sole presidential candidate. Despite facing strong opposition from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the PDP during the 2023 polls, Obi managed to pull over six million votes, win 12 states including the FCT, and finish third behind PDP’s Atiku Abubakar and the eventual winner, President Bola Tinubu of the APC.
“Peter Obi is our product, and the PDP indeed wants to get him back,” Abdullahi said. “He is a very great capital for any political party. If he had not gone the way he did in the last dispensation and was instead with the PDP, we may have seen a different outcome.”
The move to bring Obi back comes at a time of flux within Nigeria’s opposition ranks. Atiku Abubakar, who was PDP’s presidential flagbearer in the last two election cycles, is reported to have formally resigned from the party and is now a key figure in a coalition of political heavyweights forming under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) banner. Peter Obi has also shown openness to working with the coalition, although he maintains formal ties with the Labour Party.
For the PDP, the attempt to bring Obi back is being seen by analysts as both a tactical repositioning and an admission of internal challenges. The party is facing internal discord, with factional battles and credibility questions arising from the performance in 2023. Wike’s likely expulsion and Atiku’s departure further underscore the PDP’s need to rebuild both internal consensus and electoral relevance.
Obi, for his part, continues to be courted across party lines. His appeal, particularly among younger and urban voters, positions him as a potentially unifying figure in a crowded opposition landscape. However, whether he would consider returning to a party he left under controversial circumstances remains uncertain.
What’s clear is that the race to 2027 has already begun, and political realignments are accelerating. The PDP’s public overture to Obi is just one of several moves expected in the coming months as opposition parties test alliances, weigh egos, and calculate who best stands a chance against a potentially entrenched APC administration.