The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has said that he will offer his support if his party zones its presidential ticket to the South East and picks Peter Obi as its candidate.
Speaking during a recent interview with BBC Hausa, Atiku said
“I have said repeatedly and I even said it before the 2023 general elections that if the PDP decides to zone the presidential ticket to the South or South-East specifically, I won’t contest it. As long as it’s the decision of the party, I will abide by it. But I contested the 2023 presidential ticket because it was thrown open to all members of the party.
If the party decides that it’s the turn of the South-East and Peter Obi is chosen, I won’t hesitate to support him,” Atiku said
When asked about his recent meeting with Peter Obi, Atiku said
“It’s just a normal friendly meeting that we often have, particularly among us in the opposition parties. Such meetings are healthy for Nigeria’s democracy and in the country’s interest.”
On whether this will bring about a merger, he said,
“Yes, it’s very much possible. We can merge to achieve a common goal. So, it’s possible, and nothing can stop it if we wish to achieve that.”
The former Vice President denied that the choice of presidential candidate might frustrate the merger discussion.
“That’s not true. That challenge will not arise. I can tell you that the choice of who will fly the flag of the party won’t be an issue.”he said