Peter Obi speaks on rumours of 2027 ticket with El-Rufai

Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate for the Labour Party (LP), has reacted to rumours of a possible joint presidential election ticket with former Kaduna state governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

During an interview with journalists in Gombe on Sunday, Mr Obi did not give a definite position if he considered the possibility of such alliance. He said his commitment was to the betterment of the country and the Labour Party.

“Well, I’m more interested now in Nigeria’s success today than tomorrow,” he said, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.

“We are always concentrating on the election rather than what Nigerians are going through. My commitment is about Nigerians living in a better society, given a better life and that’s my concern.”

Mr Obi also denied he was planning to leave the Labour Party, the platform on which he contested the 2023 presidential election.

There have been speculations the former Anambra governor plans to quit the crisis-hit party, which is aligned with Nigeria’s main workers’ union, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

One of such reports claimed the plan may be for Mr Obi to team up with Mr El-Rufai on a different party against President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

On Saturday, the NLC’s spokesperson, Benson Upah, said the organization viewed Mr Obi as “an asset” but said he was free to choose any other party.

Mr Obi said he remained committed to the LP’s well-being and did not plan to leave the party.

“No, there is no such thing as leaving the Labour Party. I am for peace; I like peace. I believe we are one people,” he said. “Our concentration should be on peace and I believe that we will resolve all situations.”

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Mr Obi served as the governor of Anambra state from 2006 to 2014.

• In the 2023 presidential election, Mr Obi contested as the candidate of the LP, and inspired the formation of the Obidient Movement, a group led by young Nigerians dedicated to getting Mr Obi elected president.
• Despite the LP being a relatively small party with limited resources and infrastructure, Mr Obi made a significant impact.
• The official election result says he secured 6,101,533 votes, equivalent to 25.4 percent of the total votes cast, despite lacking the backing of state governors or federal and state legislators. His supporters believe he won the election.

Since the 2023 election, Mr Obi has been engaged in philanthropic endeavours in the northern region of the country, sparking speculation about his political intentions for the next election in 2027. He inaugurated a borehole at Tike Ram Market in Pantami, Gombe state, on Sunday.

“I’m here in Gombe, and I came to Pantami market to help them in the area of water supply,” he said. “You can see the business here, all the rams and everything here, but they don’t have water. We will support some individuals remotely and send them some little money. About 100, that will be done.”