A prominent chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dan Ulasi, has said that any political party that has Peter Obi, the former Labour Party presidential candidate, automatically gains 30–40% of the national vote heading into the 2027 general elections.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Friday, Ulasi expressed optimism about the possibility of Obi returning to the PDP, saying the former Anambra State governor would bring credibility and widespread support to any political platform.
“I’ll be happy if he joins the PDP because he brings credibility. Any party with him already has more than 30 to 40 per cent of the vote. He has massive support across the country,” Ulasi stated.
Ulasi, however, noted that Obi’s political direction remains unclear. According to him, although Obi contested the 2023 presidential election under the Labour Party and recently appeared at an African Democratic Congress (ADC) event, he currently lacks a confirmed platform for the 2027 race.
“To the best of my knowledge, Peter Obi has no defined platform at the moment. He ran under Labour in 2023 and I saw him at the ADC event. So, it’s unclear where he stands politically right now,” Ulasi added.
On the contentious issue of zoning within the PDP, Ulasi advocated for fairness in the 2027 presidential ticket, calling for it to be “micro-zoned” to the South-East, the only major region yet to produce a president in Nigeria’s democratic history.
“If we are to be honest, the presidency should be micro-zoned to the South-East. It’s the only geopolitical zone that has never produced a Nigerian president,” he asserted.
Ulasi also gave insights into the PDP’s internal strategy, saying the party is working toward restructuring and positioning itself as a serious contender in 2027.
“At the last National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, almost seven governors were present. It was refreshing. The focus now is on rebuilding and reorganising the party for the next general elections,” he said.
Peter Obi previously served as Governor of Anambra State from 2006 to 2014 and was the PDP’s vice-presidential candidate in the 2019 elections.
He left the PDP in May 2022 shortly before its presidential primary and went on to contest under the Labour Party, where his campaign, popularly referred to as the Obidient Movement, energized a large youth following and reshaped Nigeria’s political discourse.
Obi finished third in the 2023 elections, trailing Bola Tinubu of the APC and Atiku Abubakar of the PDP.
