2027: Peter Obi likely to return to PDP as party zones presidential ticket to Southern Nigeria

Indications have emerged as to why the former Labour Party, LP, presidential candidate, Peter Obi is likely to return to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The revelation comes amid moves by the former Senate President Bukola Saraki-led reconciliation committee to settle all aggrieved members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which may likely yield its biggest result with the return of Obi to the party.

Obi, who was the running mate to former PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar in 2019, decamped to the LP in 2002.

While in LP, Obi contested for the presidency in 2023 and came third behind Atiku of the PDP and the eventual winner, President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC. Prior to the election, Obi and his team had harnessed Nigerian youths into the Obidient Movement which almost blanked the entire Nigeria.

Three weeks ago, Obi was part of the opposition coalition that adopted the African Democratic Congress, ADC, but he has refused to officially dump the LP, stressing that he was still a member of the party.

Meanwhile, the PDP has been walloped in leadership crisis since its 2002 presidential primary election that saw Atiku emerging as its presidential flag bearer. The crisis was linked to the party’s failure to adhere to its zoning arrangement. The party was meant to zone its presidential ticket to the South because its then National Chairman hailed from the North but that arrangement was never adhered to, a situation that led to the lingering crisis.

But the Saraki-led reconciliation committee has been meeting with all aggrieved party members with the aim of uniting the party ahead of the 2027 election.

Peter Obi likely to return to PDP as party agrees to zone presidential ticket to South

However, Obi’s former Special Adviser on Public Affairs during the 2023 presidential election, Katchy Ononuju, said the former Anambra State governor is likely to return to the PDP because the party has agreed to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South.