Atiku, Obi are desperate and cannot be trusted with power - APC

On Tuesday, the All Progressives Congress denied potential merger talks between the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, and the Labour Party’s standard-bearer in the election, Peter Obi.

It portrayed Atiku and Obi as desperate politicians who couldn’t be trusted with power.

The ruling party further stated that the meeting between the two opposition candidates was pointless, as it was motivated by a mutual desire to prevent President Bola Tinubu from returning to government in 2027.

Felix Morka, the APC’s National Publicity Secretary, stated this in an Abuja statement headed “Atiku, Obi united by mutual desperation.”

According to The PUNCH, Obi paid a visit to Atiku at his Abuja mansion on May 13, and the two met behind closed doors, with photos of the meeting becoming viral on social media. Atiku later stated on his X handle, “It was my honour and privilege to host #PeterObi today.”

On the same day, Obi met with two PDP leaders: former Senate President Bukola Saraki and former Governor of Jigawa State Sule Lamido.

In 2019, Atiku and Obi ran on the same PDP ticket, but were defeated by former President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress.

In the run-up to the 2023 election, Obi defected from the PDP to the Labour Party and emerged as its standard-bearer, while Atiku ran on the PDP platform. President Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress beat the two.

After the Supreme Court confirmed Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 election, Atiku appealed for unification among major opposition groups, adding that he is prepared to lead a coalition against Tinubu in 2027.

Morka responded to the anticipated coalition on Tuesday, stating that the meeting of the political allies had fueled rumors about a possible collaboration between both men and their respective parties in 2027.

The APC spokesman, however, stated that it was unknown if Obi would be willing to return to Atiku’s PDP or whether the latter would agree to abandon his party in order to seek “rehabilitation” in Obi’s Labour Party.

He said, “The news of Peter Obi’s return to the PDP would be hardly surprising. His reputation as a political wayfarer is only dwarfed by Atiku’s track record as a veteran political wanderer.

“News of Atiku joining the Labour Party will shock no one as he will be living up to his well-established reputation as the country’s most itinerant politician.

“For now, Utomi’s mega party remains a figment with no offering of tangible accommodation for both men.

“Atiku and Obi are united by their mutual desperation to be President of Nigeria and the ignoble disdain for President Bola Tinubu’s focused and extraordinary commitment to the transformation of our nation.

“Their restless drift in search of convenient party platforms to execute their presidential run only belies the self-indulgent and opportunistic essence of their aspirations.”

He stated that based on their temperament, Nigerians could not trust Atiku and Obi with power because they would be incapable of handling national concerns.

“Men without the staying power to build or fix their own parties, who flee at the slightest flicker of internal crisis, cannot possibly be trusted by Nigerians to tackle serious and complex national, political and economic challenges that confront our nation.

“We urge Nigerians to stand fast in their invaluable support of our great party and President Bola Tinubu’s determined commitment to deliver a stronger, secure and more prosperous country for us all,” the party spokesman said.