The Former Vice President and now presidential candidate for the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has ridiculed the ambition and efforts of his opposition from the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi.
Atiku stated during an interview with Arise TV, that Mr. Peter Obi made a mistake by leaving the PDP and stands little or no chance of winning the presidential election.
Mr. Peter Obi who is the flagbearer for LP, was also a presidential aspirant on the PDP’s platform before he decamped. He left PDP few days to it’s presidential primaries.
“Unfortunately, recent developments within our party makes it impossible for me to continue participating and making constructive contributions,” he said in a letter addressed to the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu.
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Mr. Peter Obi was Atiku’s running mate in the 2019 presidential election.
Support for Mr Obi, as LP candidate in the 2023 poll, has been loud and majorly dominated by Nigerian youth – especially on social media. They have tagged themselves “OBIdients”.
Atiku dismissed the large following that that the former governor has assembled, nothing that they were nowhere to be found during the just concluded Osun State gubernatorial elections.
He also dismissed fears that activities of the LP would hurt the votes of the PDP at the polls.
“I really don’t expect the Labour Party to take much votes from the PDP as people are speculating. They have no structure at all levels, with no governor, and lawmakers.
It will take a miracle for Labour Party with no structure in the grassroot to win the election.
They had said through the social media they have one million votes in Osun State but how many votes do they have in real life?
In the northern part of the country, about 90 per cent of people don’t have access to the social media. Most of the electorates are not on social media,” he said.
Atiku also said Mr. Obi “did not consult him” before leaving the PDP.
“He only informed me three days after he announced for Labour Party.”
Atiku is one of many who have criticized the “OBIdient movement” for being overly confident and having no structure in the grassroot.
Sam Amadi, a political analyst, He, however, said with the support for Mr. Obi, what to expect is the “Obama effect” – where the new set of voters are dominated by the youth who are determined to vote for a change. He added that while it may not be possible now, it could work in the nearest future.
