2027: PDP confirms talks with Peter Obi

August 13, 2025 by Jide Babalola

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has confirmed it is in active discussions with former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, while maintaining a strong lineup of potential 2027 presidential contenders from among its governors.

Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday at the PDP National Secretariat, Wadata Plaza, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, reaffirmed PDP’s determination to reclaim legislative seats lost through defections and stressed the need for “absolute, 100% loyalty” from members.

“This party has many very qualified, exceedingly qualified, performing governors that can become president of this country,” Ologunagba said. “So, when you ask me whether Jonathan is contesting, go and ask him, I don’t speak for President Jonathan. We are talking to Obi — ask Obi who is talking to him.”

He further noted that the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) had mandated the party’s Legal Adviser to take constitutional steps to recover mandates from lawmakers who defected without justification, adding that the party would deal decisively with members campaigning for other political platforms.

“Membership of the party is voluntary. What we will not take is disloyalty,” Ologunagba stressed, warning that PDP constitution would be invoked against members found to be working for rival political parties.

On internal disputes and reconciliation, Ologunagba said politics was not a “zero-sum game” and that bitter pills sometimes had to be swallowed for the greater good.

He noted that the party had adopted a multi-level approach to reconciliation—talking to members through formal party channels, religious spaces, and community platform – while avoiding confrontation.

Giving a hint that another round of conflict between some party leaders and FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike may soon become inevitable, Ologunagba asserted that the party cannot embrace the condition given by Wike that the re-election of Chief Dan Orbih as Chairman of the PDP for the South-South zone must be upheld, adding that instead, party leaders will continue to support the Chief Emmanuel Ogidi-led Caretaker Committee picked for the zone.

He dismissed suggestions that the PDP would take instructions from any individual or entertain conditions being given by any political figure ahead of its national convention, maintaining that all processes were guided strictly by the party’s constitution.

“PDP has not, and will not even take condition from anybody and we will follow that constitution anyway; we have a South-South Zonal Caretaker Committee and they’ve been functioning as such.

“This party is People’s Democratic Party, based on rules and processes that every member is subjected to; with regards to the South-South, in March this year, the tenure of the South-South Zonal Committee expired by effluxion of time and in line with the practices and its constitution, the party’s National Working Committee decided to set up a Zonal Caretaker Committee for the South-South, headed by Elder Emma Ogidi.

“In line with the processes of the party, we decided to formally inaugurate that committee and that committee has since started work, they’ve been working seamlessly; so there can only be one way to have that process and that process has been followed,” he explained.

He further maintained that the PDP was “stable, strong, and pushing towards the national convention,” and welcoming back aggrieved members while making it clear that loyalty would be demanded and enforced.

Explaining further, Ologunagba stated that PDP will not be extreme or dogmatic about following the recommendations of the Tom Ikimi Disciplinary Committee, poiting out that the party is also working on reconciliation and making efforts to fully welcome all those who wish to retrace their steps by returning to the PDP.

Read Also: JUST IN: Former LP deputy gov candidate Awude dumps Peter Obi, leads scores to join APC in Ondo

“Look, in politics there’s no zero-sum game, sometimes you swallow bitter pills and then move ahead; we, as a party have resolved in line with our capacity, to take care of challenges because it’s not a zero-sum game; you win some, you lose some and that’s what we’re good at reconciliation.

“There are multiple conversations going on, there are people you can talk to in PDP, there are people you can talk to in churches, there are people you can talk to in the marketplace; what we have done is to do a multiple approach to reconciliation and we have discussed at different levels and we are determined.

“That is what the PDP National Executive Committee has demonstrated; we have a process, we have constitution, we are going to obey it, we are going to follow through.

“We are not confrontational, we are not fighting, we will respect our processes, we will respect our institutions, we will respect our organs, we will follow through, work together in the interest of the party one, in the interest of democracy and in the interest of Nigerians,” Ologunagba stated.

“If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man’s life, sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.”