PDP, Labour Party Won’t Collapse Structures for Merger – Party Leaders

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) have ruled out collapsing their structures for the 2027 general elections, opting instead to consider strategic alliances to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

In interviews with The Punch, PDP’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi, and Yunusa Tanko, spokesperson for LP’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, clarified that their parties aim to collaborate without dismantling their individual structures.

This development follows a series of high-level meetings involving Peter Obi, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, and former Senate President Bukola Saraki. These discussions have fueled speculation about a potential political alliance.

Abdullahi emphasized the necessity of unity among democratic forces to address the nation’s challenges, accusing the APC of mismanagement. He stated that while the primary goal is to rescue Nigeria from the current administration, it does not necessitate merging party structures.

“The interests of the PDP or other parties are secondary. The primary goal is to rescue Nigerians from the APC’s misrule. We are discussing forming alliances, not merging. Each party will retain its name and structure,” Abdullahi said.

He highlighted that the nature of these alliances would differ from the merger strategy used by the APC in 2014. “LP is not ready to relinquish its name and structure into PDP, and vice versa. However, politicians from both parties are willing to collaborate.”

Yunusa Tanko echoed this sentiment, stating that any potential alliance must align with the fundamental principles of each party. He noted that detailed discussions at the party level would follow initial agreements between party leaders.

“A merger involves technical discussions and restructuring, which is not the immediate focus. Currently, we are exploring how to leverage each party’s strengths through an alliance,” Tanko explained.

He concluded that while leaders from both parties are in preliminary talks, any formal merger would require thorough consideration of the technicalities involved.