“Northern Links Risky”: Ohanaeze Warns Peter Obi Against Merger With Atiku, Kwankwaso, Others
- Ohanaeze Ndigbo has reacted to Peter Obi's recent meeting with Atiku Abubakar of the PDP and other party bigwigs
- The group urged Obi to be careful and not be deceived into allying with the northern power brokers
- Ohanaeze urged the former governor of Anambra state to apply wisdom, noting that past experiences between mergers with southeast politicians and northern elites should teach him a lesson
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Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.
Peter Obi, the Labour Party (LP) flagbearer in the 2023 presidential election, has been advised against relying solely on his connections with northern elites in any alleged merger talks ahead of the 2027 elections.
Source: Facebook
As reported by The Punch, the apex pan-Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, gave this warning while reacting to Obi's meeting with Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other bigwigs of the opposition party in Nigeria, especially from the northern region.
Recall that Peter Obi said the closed-door meeting with Atiku and other PDP bigwigs was to discuss the state of the nation and how to reduce Nigerians' suffering.
Why Obi should avoid northern connections
In a swift reaction, Ohanaeze expressed surprise and scrutiny over Obi’s recent political activities, which have hinted at potential opposition party alignments aimed at unseating President Tinubu in 2027, The Guardian reported.
In a statement issued on Thursday, May 16, by its secretary-general, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, the Igbo group noted that Obi’s participation in Muslim ceremonies in recent times has been perceived as steps to fortify his political stature in the north ahead of the 2027 polls.
However, the group cautioned Obi regarding the inherent risks and uncertainties that accompany his relentless pursuit of Northern connections, ThisDay reported.
“Observers have closely monitored the subtle political trajectory of Mr Obi over the past nine months, particularly in the core North-West and North-East regions, where he has strategic humanitarian initiatives with political intentions to garner broader northern acceptance and articulate his vision for the upcoming presidential elections.
“The Northern political establishment, religious scholars, and traditional institutions harbour reservations towards Mr Obi for several notable reasons,” the statement said.
Reno Omokri explains why Atiku won’t contest with Peter Obi
In a similar development, Legit.ng reported that Reno Omokri, a former presidential aide, said no northerner will agree to contest the presidency alongside Peter Obi in the 2027 elections.
According to Omokri, Atiku Abubakar, NNPP flagbearer Rabiu Kankwaso, and the former Kaduna state governor Nasir El-Rufai will not be willing to work with Obi as many speculated.
Omokri wondered about the significance of Obi’s rapprochement with Northern powerbrokers in the PDP. He stressed that “right now, Peter Obi (he) is tainted.”
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