A member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Segun Sowunmi, has stated that the party must explore all possible avenues to bring back Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections.
Obi defected from the PDP in May 2022 to join the Labour Party, citing widespread bribery of delegates, vote-buying during the presidential primary, and the presence of a powerful clique working against his interests within the party.
Now, three years later, Sowunmi believes the PDP must initiate dialogue to reintegrate Obi.
Speaking during an interview on Politics Today on Channels Television, Sowunmi said:
“One of the people who left the PDP, a South-Eastern man who felt his region was marginalised, was Peter Obi. He garnered 6.2 million votes. He lost the election, challenged it in court, and was adjudged to have lost.
“Any thoughtful and fair-minded PDP member should realise the next strategic move is to start a conversation about bringing Peter Obi back—especially now that the enthusiasm around him is organic and self-driven.”
The PDP has been in turmoil since its defeat in the 2023 presidential poll, where its candidate, Atiku Abubakar, lost to President Bola Tinubu.
Following the suspension of Iyorchia Ayu, Umar Damagum, previously Deputy National Chairman (North), assumed the role of acting chairman. However, there has been significant resistance from the North-Central zone to replace him with a permanent chair, leading to deep divisions within the party.
The battle for the position of national secretary between Samuel Anyanwu and Sunday Ude-Okoye has further exacerbated the party’s internal rift, fuelling the campaign to unseat Damagum.
Sowunmi described the crises and wave of defections to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as largely self-inflicted.
“There’s only so much you can blame on political opponents,” he said. “When you suffer persistent internal inertia and lack of innovation, the responsibility falls on you.”
Commenting on President Tinubu, he remarked:
“Many underestimate him because of his appearance, but he is intellectually formidable. He may look frail, but his mind is razor-sharp—those who take him lightly do so at their own peril.
“The sad part is that my party seems to assume Tinubu is an easy opponent in politics. What secret do they know that he doesn’t?”