By Kolawole Ojebisi
The chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum, Bala Mohammed has indicated his readiness to work with Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections.
Mohammed spoke on Thursday after a ”consultation visit” by Mr Peter Obi to the former at the state’s presidential lodge in Bauchi State.
Highlighting the reason for the move, Mohammed said collaborating with Obi will bring good governance to the country. The Bauchi governor added that Obi’s visit focused on addressing poverty and criminality, adding that the latter is now the leader of the opposition in the country.
“We discussed state by state challenges and I feel highly appreciative of what he is doing as the leader of the opposition — because whether we like it or not, he is the leader of the opposition now in Nigeria,” Muhammed was quoted as saying.
“I want to say at this level, not to make some of those doubting Thomases and mischievous minds to pre-empt what we are doing, that I’m ready to work with Peter Obi.
“We will make sure we come together, close ranks, bring good governance to the country, give vibrant opposition with knowledge, timelines, visions in such a manner that we will rescue and recover our country.
“Our coming together is a message and the message is going to resonate because all our colleagues, the PDP governors are behind this kind of journey because it is a transcendental one.
“We are coming together to work together irrespective of party, region, religion or any other thing.”
On his part, Obi said he visited Mohammed to discuss Nigeria’s challenges and consult him as “a key political stakeholder”.
“We have to discuss issues happening in the North. I have told the governor today that the North is a critical component if we are going to get it right in this country,” Obi said.
“There is poverty in Nigeria. We have to deal with the issue of poverty and until you solve poverty, then you can talk about criminalitthey
Obi added that the nation must prioritise substantial funding in essential sectors to lift citizens from poverty, thereby curbing crime and promoting a safer society.
Recall that in 2022, the former governor of Anambra State resigned his membership from the PDP. Obi’s resignation came days before its presidential primary, citing recent developments hindering constructive contributions to the party.
The Thursday meeting at Ramat House in Bauchi state has fueled speculations over potential political realignments ahead of the 2027 general election.
Their meeting comes amid growing talks of a coalition aimed at wresting the reins of power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 presidential election.
Obi, in the buildup to the 2023 presidential election was dubbed “dark horse” in a contest predicted to be a “two horse” race between Bola Tinubu of the APC and Atiku Abubakar of the PDP.
The LP candidate, however, pulled a surprise by polling 6.101,533 votes and finishing third. His campaign drew significant support, particularly among young voters.
Also recall that in June 2024, Umar Damagum, acting national chairman of the PDP, said the party wants Obi to return to its fold. While Obi has not confirmed any move, he, however, said he is open to the idea of a coalition —but only one focused on governance rather than simply seizing power.
