By Ayomide Otitoju
The 2023 Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, on Thursday held a closed-door meeting with the Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, at the Ramat House in Bauchi.
While the purpose of the meeting was not immediately disclosed, both political figures were expected to address journalists after their discussions.
The meeting between the Labour Party chieftain and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwart comes amid growing political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, emerged third in the 2023 presidential election, which was won by Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Tinubu secured victory in 12 of Nigeria’s 36 states and amassed 8,794,726 votes—nearly two million more than his closest rival, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, who polled 6,984,520 votes.
Obi, who energized young voters in an unprecedented manner, won in 11 states, including Lagos, the home state of the APC candidate, as well as the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Meanwhile, former Kano State Governor and candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso, finished fourth, winning Kano State with 1,496,687 votes.
In recent months, there have been discussions among opposition parties about forming a coalition to challenge the APC in 2027. Atiku has been seen in meetings with Obi, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and other key political figures, fueling speculations of a possible alliance.
Earlier this week, El-Rufai announced his defection from the APC to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), citing a departure from the founding ideals of the ruling party.
