PDP Regrets Fielding Atiku in 2023, Says Abba Moro – Party Moves to Woo Jonathan, Obi Ahead of 2027
By Joseph Iyaji | Akahi News
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has admitted it made a political miscalculation by fielding former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections.
This disclosure was made by the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro, during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday. Moro, who represents Benue South Senatorial District, said the outcome of the election proved that Nigerians rejected Atiku’s candidacy.
“It Was an Error” – Moro
Speaking candidly, the PDP chieftain said the party had no choice but to accept responsibility for the outcome of the election, where Atiku came second to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“As a result of how the election turned out and because the Nigerian people spoke, definitely, it [fielding Atiku] was an error,” Moro declared. “To lose a very monumental election in that disastrous manner is certainly in for regret.”
The PDP’s defeat in 2023 came as a major setback for the opposition, following earlier losses in the 2015 and 2019 elections.
Atiku Dumps PDP Amidst Party’s Soul-Searching
Following the 2023 election defeat, Atiku Abubakar resigned from the PDP in 2024, with no official declaration yet on his next political move. His exit has left the party in a state of soul-searching as it struggles to rebuild ahead of the 2027 general elections.
PDP’s Next Move: Wooing Jonathan and Obi
In what appears to be a new strategy, the PDP is reportedly in talks to bring back two political heavyweights: former President Goodluck Jonathan and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi.
Jonathan, who lost to former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, has since maintained a low political profile and has not been active in PDP activities. Peter Obi, on the other hand, was Atiku’s running mate in the 2019 elections before defecting to the Labour Party, where he secured the presidential ticket and emerged as one of the leading contenders in the 2023 race.
Senator Moro confirmed that emissaries from within the PDP have been reaching out to both leaders.
“So, in the run-up to 2027, I am aware certain individuals have been talking to Peter Obi, ‘Hey, come back home, this is what we are likely to do, and if you come, you stand a chance of being the candidate’,” Moro disclosed.
When asked about Jonathan, the Senate Minority Leader added: “Some persons are talking to the former president to come and run. It is a possibility.”
PDP’s Struggle to Reclaim Relevance
Political observers believe that the PDP’s attempt to woo Jonathan and Obi signals desperation to regain lost ground, especially with internal divisions and defections that have weakened its structure.
With barely two years to the 2027 general elections, the opposition party faces a critical test: either reinvent itself by presenting a credible, unifying candidate or risk further electoral defeat at the hands of the ruling APC.
For now, the big question remains: will Jonathan and Obi heed the call to return, and can the PDP reconcile its deep internal cracks before Nigerians head to the polls again?
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