Former President Goodluck Jonathan met with Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s last presidential candidate, in Abuja on Thursday amid growing discussions about opposition parties backing one of them to challenge President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
The gathering comes at a time when influential members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are reportedly working to encourage Jonathan’s return as their standard-bearer. These efforts intensified after several rounds of internal talks and public calls from key figures who believe that Jonathan’s blend of seasoned leadership, wide electoral appeal, and statesmanship offers the PDP a strong shot at reclaiming the presidency.
Jonathan, who led Nigeria from 2010 to 2015, remains a highly prominent figure in the nation’s political landscape. Meanwhile, Obi, a former two-term governor of Anambra State, has maintained momentum since the 2023 elections where he secured a notable third-place finish and managed to unseat President Tinubu in Lagos.
Supporters of Obi, notably the youth-driven Obidient Movement, have been vocal in advocating for his candidacy, rallying nationwide backing. While specifics of the meeting between the two leaders were not publicly shared, Obi took to his official X (formerly Twitter) account to express that their conversation centred on national concerns and the country’s current condition.
Today in Abuja, I met with my very dear elder brother, statesman, and leader, former President Goodluck Jonathan @GEJonathan. We had a productive closed-door discussion about the state of our beloved nation – Peter Obi
Senior PDP members believe that this newfound alignment could forge a formidable alliance, potentially repositioning the opposition ahead of the 2027 polls. The coming months are expected to reveal more about the opposition’s strategy to reclaim the nation’s highest office.
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