He said, “Atiku has been consistent about an alliance of the opposition. His position has become more pertinent than ever because Nigeria, as it is currently under Tinubu’s administration, is on life support. We have had failings of trial and error policies. Hunger is the order of the day, even among his supporters.
“Nobody is happy about the current situation. So that position (alliance) has not changed. We need to put efforts together for the sake of Nigeria and Nigerians to recover the country from these wayfarers. I am talking about Tinubu and his cabinet. That is what it is all about. They are people who have come to loot and put people in perpetual hunger.
“At the moment, poverty is rife. Food inflation is 40 per cent and insecurity is on the rise. The other day, we heard about scores of people killed in Yobe and other places. So every well-meaning leader, especially those in opposition, understands the need to come together to rescue Nigeria and plot a pathway to recover the country from economic malfunction.”
“I will not speak for the other (opposition) leaders. They are capable of speaking for themselves. But as I earlier said, Alhaji Atiku has been consistent and remains consistent in the alliance. I know that is a clarion call for them to come together under an umbrella. It has resonated well with other leaders and discussions are ongoing.
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“Make no mistake, it (talks) is not something that will be conducted on the pages of newspapers. Even when you are wooing a woman that you want to marry, there is a process involved. So what is going on now is that process that will inevitably lead to alliance among the other opposition.”
However, the NNPP spokesman told our correspondent that no channel of communication regarding the merger process had been opened between its leadership and the PDP.
According to Johnson, a process must always be in place before such a marriage of convenience can take place.
He said, “Well, we are aware that several people on various occasions have spoken about a possible merger. However, I am not aware of any opening of communication channels to discuss the matter officially. As I always say, we are currently seeking to grow the base of our party.
“You will recall that just two days ago, the National Working Committee of our party had reason to dissolve some of the executive committees of some states and set up caretaker committees so that the process of engineering and rebuilding could occur. It is all in a bid to strengthen and reposition the party
In a related development, the spokesperson for Peter Obi’s campaign cast doubt on the rumored merger, stating that Obi prefers to concentrate on strengthening his political base rather than being sidetracked by merger discussions with other major opposition candidates.
The spokesperson conveyed that Obi is committed to expanding his nationwide support structure, learning from past electoral shortcomings, and avoiding distractions from merger talks. He emphasized, “While we’ve heard about the merger discussions, our primary focus now is on solidifying our nationwide network. We aim to have a robust presence across the country, addressing the issues we encountered in the last election, such as not having the right people on the ground.”
He continued, “The Obidient Movement spans across various political parties and regions, which makes us more formidable. Our movement is fundamentally against bad governance, and we’re dedicated to that cause alone.”
In the meantime, Victor Umeh, the senator for Anambra Central, has cautioned Obi against leaving the Labour Party for the 2027 presidential race. Umeh believes that those encouraging Obi to abandon his party are merely leading him on a futile quest. He voiced these concerns during an extended stakeholders’ meeting of the Labour Party held in Umuahia last Thursday.
