2023: Peter Obi’s Growing Popularity Not A Threat To Atiku – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that the growing popularity of the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, is not a threat to its flagbearer, Atiku Abubakar.

Naija News reports that Atiku had in May won the PDP presidential primary after defeating other aspirants including Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State, former Senate President, Bukola Saraki and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Pius Anyim, among others.

A few days before the PDP primary, Atiku’s running mate in 2019, Peter Obi, dumped the party and joined the Labour Party (LP) to contest the 2023 presidential election.

However, there has been growing support for Obi since he joined the LP and it seems that his defection may affect the chances of the PDP in the South-East.

Reacting to the development, PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologbunagba, said Obi’s growing support and mass appeal is in no way a threat to Atiku.

In an interview with The Punch, Ologbunagba said that claimed popularity ascribed to Obi will reveal itself in the upcoming 2023 general elections.

He stated that the PDP is not focused on any presidential candidate, stressing that the party is only focused on what it will do for Nigerians and address the various challenges facing the country.

“When we talk about popularity, that is your assessment and you are entitled to it. When we get to the polls, the popularity will reveal itself.

“We are not talking about somebody’s popularity. That is not what we are talking about. We are focused on our party. That is the important thing. We are focused on what we are doing and what we will do for Nigerians. We are focused on insecurity, our kids being out of school for one year,” he said.