Fresh indications have emerged that former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, may soon return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a move seen as a major breakthrough for the Bukola Saraki-led reconciliation committee currently working to resolve internal party disputes.

Obi, who was Atiku Abubakar’s running mate in the 2019 presidential election under the PDP, defected to the LP in 2022. He later contested the 2023 presidential election on the party’s platform, finishing third behind Atiku and eventual winner, President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

During his 2023 presidential bid, Obi mobilised millions of Nigerian youths under the ‘Obidient Movement,’ creating significant political momentum that disrupted traditional party structures.

Although Obi recently participated in an opposition coalition that adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its political platform, he has not formally resigned from the LP, maintaining that he remains a member.

The PDP has been battling leadership crises since its 2022 presidential primaries, which resulted in Atiku being named the party’s candidate. The internal wrangling stemmed from a violation of the party’s zoning arrangement, which was meant to allocate the presidential ticket to the South since its then National Chairman was from the North.

This unresolved issue has continued to divide the party, prompting the establishment of a reconciliation committee led by Saraki to reconcile aggrieved members and reposition the PDP ahead of the 2027 elections.

Obi’s former Special Adviser on Public Affairs during the 2023 election, Katchy Ononuju, in an interview with Daily Post, disclosed that the former Anambra State governor is likely to rejoin the PDP following an agreement to zone the 2027 presidential ticket to the South.

Speaking with Daily Post, he said, “What I can tell you is very simple. What caused the crisis, as I told you earlier, was that our party’s NWC got compromised and they refused to zone and that was why we left to start the youth movement. They have reached out to us that the Bukola Saraki committee said that they should zone to the South as a way to try to bring us back and make peace. Now because Atiku knew what was going on, he dashed out and that was why I said no when I spoke to Peter Obi that whatever those people you are speaking with want, I will not support you because you must understand the fundational reason why we left the PDP was because they refused to zone. So whether we talk to them inside the party or we talk outside the party as alliances, they must agree to zone or explain to us why after eight years of Buhari, Southerners are not good enough to run for the Presidency.

“So right now the party has agreed to zone, they made that announcement last week at the NAF Conference Centre and based on that a lot of them have been talking to Peter Obi. Over the weekend, Peter went to see Babangida Aliyu and what we want are assurances.

“That is why I told you that someone like Kenneth Okonkwo is not part of us, he is a member of the APC. He only met us after we have started the movement, they are not strong enough to take on the crisis, we who are members of the PDP, me and Peter, who, out of them refusing to zone, we left, I and Doyin Okupe had to start the youth movement and we didn’t have candidate until we got Peter. Now that the party said they will do the same thing that they did in 2019, which is zone to the South as a way to bring us back, there is nothing wrong with that.”

Katchy further stated, “So what you are hearing is true, the PDP is making a very strong move to bring us back. There is nothing personal against anybody; it was simply that if we don’t fight for it now, our children will start wondering about it, and it’s not good that we leave this kind of fight for our children. We want them to understand that as far as we are concerned, the presidential pendulum should swing between the North and the South.

“I today was in contact with a lot of leaders of the PDP and they told me that we should cool down. When I was asking some leaders what are the guarantees that we will not have this problem, they told me that Atiku was asking if he can come back and I laughed.”