Former Borno State Governor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, has claimed that Mr Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, is preparing to return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to contest the 2027 presidential election on its platform.
Sheriff made the disclosure during a live interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday night.
Speaking assertively, the former governor dismissed the political relevance of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the platform where Obi and other opposition leaders are reportedly coordinating.
“In this political landscape, they [ADC] have no standing. Information available to me indicates that Peter Obi will soon rejoin the PDP and seek the party’s presidential ticket,” Sheriff stated.
His comments come as speculation grows around Obi’s political trajectory, with conversations about a grand opposition alliance gaining ground ahead of the 2027 polls.
The remarks appear to reinforce recent comments by PDP elder statesman Professor Jerry Gana, who confirmed that extensive consultations are ongoing with leading Southern politicians, including Obi, to strengthen the PDP for the next election cycle.
PDP Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Hon Ibrahim Abdullahi, has also spoken highly of Obi’s electoral value, stating: “Peter Obi is our product; we want him back, indeed, because he is a very valuable asset for any political party.”
Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, was the PDP’s vice-presidential candidate in the 2019 election alongside Atiku Abubakar before defecting to the Labour Party for the 2023 polls, where he finished third behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the APC and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the PDP.
Reports indicate that the PDP is considering zoning its 2027 presidential ticket to the South, a move believed to be aimed at facilitating Obi’s comeback.
Meanwhile, Obi is said to be part of a broader opposition coalition involving Atiku, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and other prominent politicians, many of whom are currently operating under the ADC platform.