…“We are ready to receive him” – Alkali
There are strong indications that former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant, Peter Obi, may have opened discussions with leaders of Labour Party (LP) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) over possible defection.
Obi had yesterday withdrawn from the race as well as resigned his membership of the opposition PDP.
Speaking on the development, the National Chairman of NNPP, Rufa’i Ahmed Alkali, said the party would be willing to receive Obi into the party, describing him as a ‘valuable asset to the nation’.
On Monday, Peter Obi’s support group, named Coalition for Peter Obi (COP), had asked the former governor of Anambra State to dump the PDP and contest in the 2023 presidential election on the platform of another political party.
The support groups warned Peter Obi that he should not be part of what Nigerians wanted him to change.
The Coalition stated that according to reports, politicians inside the PDP who had no previous verifiable source of livelihood before joining politics are doling out hundreds of millions of dollars to buy the delegates that will vote at the forthcoming PDP presidential primary.
They, therefore, advised Peter Obi to move to another political party to be at peace with his conscience and not to entangle himself in possible political negotiations or manoeuvring that will stain him and hamper his ability to serve Nigerians.
In a statement jointly signed by the conveners of the Coalition of over 17 support groups that recently organised a One-Million-Man March, that witnessed massive turnout across the 36 states of the federation and FCT. It is estimated that over 7million Nigerians participated in the march on Saturday, May 21, asking PDP leadership to be transparent in their dealings and to give Nigerians Peter Obi, a leader with a proven track record of prudent management of resources and wealth creation.
The Coalition, with an estimated ten million active voters across the country, also berated the PDP for playing double standards and violating its own constitutional provision on zoning political offices, thereby toying with the future of our children.
Giving reasons for his resignation from the party Obi explained that “recent developments” in the PDP were responsible for his resignation from the opposition party and withdrawal from its forthcoming presidential primary.
In a letter, titled: ‘Resignation From Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Withdrawal from the Presidential Contest’, which he addressed to the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, Obi explained that the recent developments won’t make it possible for him to make “constructive contributions”.
