According to the Obi-Datti Campaign Organization, Peter Obi, the candidate for the Labour Party, is not in discussions with Atiku Abubakar, the candidate for the People’s Democratic Party, about forming an alliance ahead of the elections on February 25.
After meeting with the two to discuss their support for Atiku’s candidacy in the upcoming election, Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigerian People Party hinted at their willingness to collaborate with him.
This was revealed by Atiku during a 15-minute interview with the BBC Hausa service on Tuesday.
Atiku claimed that neither Obi nor Kwankwaso posed a threat to his prospects of winning the election on February 25 while conversing with the interviewer in Hausa.
“Although I see no threat in any of them, we are in talks, and the discussion might yield a positive result that will see one of them coming.”
However, the spokesman for the Obi-Datti campaign organization, Yunusa Tanko, responded to the claim on Wednesday in an exclusive interview with The Punch, saying people making the alliance claim are only attempting to capitalize on Obi’s popularity.
“As of yesterday, before we left Numan, there was nothing of such nature. We are busy with campaigns. We are not aware of anything like an alliance.
“I think somebody is just trying to cash out on the Obi-Datti ticket. We are right now campaigning in Sokoto and we will be in Zamfara.”
The New Nigeria Peoples Party spokesperson could not be reached as of the time this story was filed since he did not answer his calls.