Jonathan, Peter Obi in closed-door meeting in Abuja

Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, on Thursday held a closed-door meeting with former President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja.

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Mr Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, disclosed this in a statement on his X handle.

“Today in Abuja, I met with my very dear elder brother, statesman, and leader, former President Goodluck Jonathan @GEJonathan. We had a fruitful closed-door meeting and discussed the state of our dear nation,” he said.

Although details of the discussions remain sketchy, there are speculations that Messrs Obi and Jonathan may have discussed issues relating to the 2027 presidential election.

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On 25 August, the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) resolved to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South while retaining the national chairmanship in the North. The NEC also confirmed Umar Damagum as the substantive national chairman of the opposition party.

The PDP NEC comprises state governors, serving and former presidents, ex-vice-presidents, the board of trustees (BoT) chair and secretary, National Assembly leaders, state chairpersons, national working committee (NWC) members, ex-governors and founding members, among others.

Southern Nigeria has three zones: South-west, South-south, and South-east. The last PDP president from the South was Mr Jonathan of Bayelsa in the South-south, who served until 2015.

Mr Jonathan assumed office in 2010 after Umaru Yar’Adua’s death, won the 2011 election, and lost re-election to late Muhammadu Buhari (APC) in 2015.

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There are also speculations in some quarters that the PDP may be courting Mr Jonathan for a return bid in 2027, though he has remained silent.

Mr Obi, from Anambra in the South-east, has declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidency, pledging to serve only one term if elected.

Some reports also suggested the PDP could consider him for the ticket though he has been associating with the coalition of opposition leaders, who few months ago adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 poll.

Another name gaining attention is Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, whose campaign posters have surfaced in parts of the country despite his silence on the race.