Ahead of the 2027 general elections, Mr. Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the last election, on Thursday, met behind closed doors with the Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum, Alhaji Bala Mohammed.
Sources within the Bauchi State Government House according to Guardian, revealed that the Obi visited Bauchi to ensure that the PDP governors were on the same page with the calls on him and his running mate on the LP platform, Senator Datti Baba Ahmed, to re-join the PDP.
The source disclosed that key PDP leaders, including Atiku Abubakar, had been mounting serious pressures on the former governor of Anambra State to join forces with like minds and rescue the country from economic woes and social decadence.
“I think the former Vice President had visited his former Principal, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, to plead with him to convince Mr Peter Obi to return to PDP so that together they can pick the pieces of what remains of the country and build a new Nigeria.
“You are aware that the issue of zoning contributed to the failure of PDP to win the 2023 presidential election. So, I believe that the party leaders have learnt their lessons and are prepared to make serious amends. They are talking and all sides seem to agree that there is a need to make sacrifices,” the source said.
However, emerging from the closed-door meeting, Bauchi State governor, Mohammed, declared that he was ready to work with Obi “to form a vibrant opposition and deliver the country from mediocres parading as leaders.”
Bala said, “Obi is the leader of opposition in Nigeria, because of his position and pedigree. So, I want to say this and make it clear to some of those doubting Thomases, who want to pre-empt what we are doing.
“As a person, I am ready to work with Mr Peter Obi and to make sure we close ranks and bring good governance to the country. To give vibrant opposition with knowledge and timelines, and vision in such a manner that would rescue and recover our country from these mediocre that are parading themselves as leaders, time has come. But we must step out and do things with fidelity, with sincerity and focus.
“I think our coming together is a message. And the message is going to resonate, I believe, because all our colleagues, the governors, are behind this kind of journey. Because it is a transcendental one, and I want to say that we are very grateful to Peter Obi for coming here. And we will take it up and take it further in a manner that going forward, you will see more of this outing between us and Governor Obi, PDP governors, and PDP as a party.”
Speaking also, Obi stressed that he visited Mohammed soley to discuss events in the country, adding that being the chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, he decided “to consult him, as a critical person in Nigerian politics today.”
“With what our country is going through, I felt it is necessary for me to come and discuss the future of our dear country with him.
“So, instead of a consultation, it’s a meeting that will continue to go on as we talk about the future of this country. All of you are aware of where we are today, what is happening in our country and everything.
“And yet we must discuss that. You must discuss the issues that are happening in the North. Like I told the governor today, the North is a critical component to address, if we are going to get it right in this country.
“There is so much criminality in Nigeria, especially when people talk about it. And I say, no, there’s poverty in Nigeria. You must deal with the issue of poverty. Until you solve poverty, you can’t talk about criminality. Because if people don’t know where the next meal will come from, nobody can know what they can do.
“We can see poverty in the North, but there’s also a future that is everywhere. We can make more money today. Nigeria can be rich today from agriculture which will make for more yields.
“And I could see vast areas of uncultivated land that have been turning the government off everywhere I go. I’ve been visiting everywhere in the world. I just came back from a visit to Indonesia, the highest Muslim country in the world,” he said.
Obi explained that the country needs critical investment in areas that would easily pull the people out of poverty, stressing that was the first step to reducing criminality.
While urging for investment in children to avoid their recourse to drugs and other vices, Obi declared, “We need education. We need to care about their health. But, as you can see now, we are not discussing all these in the political space. What we are discussing in the political space are mundane things. Whether it is budget spending or sexual harassment, and people are hungry.
“We need to discuss hunger. We need to discuss poverty. We need to discuss education. We need to discuss health. What we are discussing should be the dignity of the political class. We are not in Hollywood.”
Meanwhile, Coalition For Good Governance (CFGG) has called on president Bola Tinubu to start preparing his hand over note.
Speaking exclusively with News Band Newspaper on Saturday, the group spokesman, Shola Adewale stated that president Bola Tinubu lacks the political mojo to stand the coalition forces in 2027.
According to Mr. Adewale, Nigerians are tired with APC’s style of leadership and will like to seek for a better alternative to rescue the country from the clutches of corruption and nepotism which the All Progressive Congress (APC) has entrenched in the last 10 years.
He said, “I will advice President Bola Tinubu to start preparing his hand over note.
“He cannot stand the coalition forces in 2027. Nigerians are tired of APC leadership style. A different chapter will be opened in 2027”.
