The Traffic

2027: Peter Obi Poised to Rejoin PDP as Party Commits to Southern Zoning for Presidential Ticket

Fresh developments suggest that Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential flag bearer of the Labour Party (LP), may be on course to return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), following strategic reconciliatory efforts led by a committee chaired by former Senate President, Bukola Saraki.

The Saraki-led panel has reportedly made significant headway in its mission to reconcile estranged party members, with Obi’s potential comeback being one of the most consequential outcomes.

Obi, who was Atiku Abubakar’s running mate during the 2019 presidential election under the PDP, left the party in 2022 and joined the Labour Party, where he ran for president in 2023. He finished third in the race, behind Atiku and eventual winner Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

During the 2023 campaign, Obi galvanized a broad youth-led support base known as the Obidient Movement, which took Nigerian politics by storm and significantly disrupted traditional voting patterns.

Despite his involvement in a recent coalition of opposition parties that adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a potential political platform, Obi has yet to officially resign from the Labour Party. He maintains his membership, despite mounting pressure and speculation regarding his next political move.

Meanwhile, the PDP has been struggling with internal discord since its controversial 2022 presidential primaries, which saw the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as its flag bearer. The controversy largely stemmed from the party's failure to respect its rotational zoning formula, which many believed should have shifted the ticket to the South, especially with the then National Chairman of the party coming from the North.

This perceived breach of party tradition sparked widespread dissatisfaction, and the fallout has remained unresolved. The Saraki-led reconciliation committee has been meeting with key aggrieved figures to heal divisions and reposition the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

According to Katchy Ononuju, a former Special Adviser on Public Affairs to Obi during the 2023 campaign, the PDP’s decision to now zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South has reopened the door for Obi’s potential return.

Speaking with DAILY POST, Ononuju said:

“The root cause of our exit was the party’s refusal to adhere to its zoning arrangement. We were pushed to form a youth-based movement because the PDP national leadership compromised. Now, the Saraki committee has reportedly recommended that the presidential ticket be zoned to the South, and that is the basis for renewed talks with Peter Obi.”

He continued:

“Atiku, realizing this shift, distanced himself, but I made it clear to Peter that unless zoning is officially endorsed, I won't support him. After eight years of Northern leadership under Buhari, it would be unacceptable for Southerners to be told they’re not fit to contest.”

Ononuju added that PDP’s formal announcement of the zoning decision at the NAF Conference Centre has triggered widespread consultations with Obi, including a recent meeting between the former Anambra governor and ex-Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu.

He criticized figures such as Kenneth Okonkwo, stating they were not part of the foundational Obidient Movement, and lacked the historical context of the PDP’s internal conflicts.

On the prospect of Obi officially rejoining the PDP, Ononuju remarked:

“Yes, what you're hearing is correct. The party is actively working to bring Peter Obi back. This is not a personal vendetta against anyone; it’s a fight to restore equity and build a system where future generations won’t have to start from scratch.”

He also emphasized the importance of zoning in guiding future alliances:

“We chose the LP platform out of necessity when the PDP refused to zone. If the PDP and ADC both agree to zone to the South, then a merger or alliance between them would be logical. But if ADC continues to vacillate, there’s no point in further engagement with them.”

Ononuju was blunt about the ADC’s viability, stating:

“The truth is, the moment we settle on a platform, the ADC’s relevance will collapse. There’s barely any structure there. The PDP, for all its issues, has the human resources and infrastructure to bounce back if we return.”

He further alleged that the ADC was primarily used as a political fallback by some PDP governors when zoning talks gained traction. But in his view, if the PDP offers a level playing field, the structure can be rebuilt and the past division corrected.

“With the right assurances, we can return and fix what was broken — the mess created by individuals like Wike who weakened the party. We can put the right people back in place. After all, political structures are just organized people.”

As the PDP recalibrates its internal dynamics and zones its presidential ticket to the South, all eyes remain on Peter Obi and whether he will choose to lead a united opposition or pursue a different course ahead of 2027.

By Haruna Yakubu Haruna