A former member of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Yusuf has ruled out the possibility of an alliance between Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar.
Talks of an alliance between Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterpart Atiku gained mileage following a meeting between the duo some weeks back.
Obi was Atiku’s running mate in the 2019 presidential election under the PDP before the former joined LP in the leadup to the 2023 poll.
But Tajudeen does not see both working together when Nigerians head to the ballot in 2027.
“They have worked together before in 2019. It would not be out of place if they work together again. I am not in their minds but I don’t see the possibility,” he said on Monday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today.
According to him, Atiku’s comment after the meeting and other roadblocks make an alliance between the duo a herculean task.
“They met a few days ago and after the meeting, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar came out to say he will continue to contest as long as he’s alive and healthy,” the former lawmaker insisted.
“To me, that was to send a signal to those, especially the media, who were running with the notion that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar might step down and shelve his political ambition for Peter. But the follow-up statement a week later clarified that.”
He thinks both men may contest the poll in 2027 which makes talks of a merger difficult.
READ ALSO: Obi Not Interested In A Merger Seeking Only Power, Says Tanko
‘Merger Driven By Ideology’
Also speaking on the show, a spokesman for the Obi-Datti campaign council in the 2023 election Yunusa Tanko also said his principal is only interested in a merger that will make the country better.
“His Excellency, Peter Gregory is not interested in a merger that is only for the interest of seeking power. He is interested in a merger that will bring Nigerians out of the poverty level, bringing the Nigerian people to a comfortable state of health care,” he Tanko said.
“Making sure Nigerians have potable drinking water; making sure the problem of power supply is being solved.
“So, therefore, he is interested strongly in a merger that is driven by ideology and a programme. But if it’s only for the purpose of power, he is not interested.”
