Obi Campaign Office denies alleged alliance with Atiku during London meeting

The campaign office of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has debunked reports that an alliance is brewing with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Atiku Abubakar, ahead of the 2023 elections.

It referred to the rumours as the work of propagandists who enjoy twisting the truth in order to gain fictitious relevance for their patrons in a statement released, on Saturday, in Abuja.

The two presidential candidates had met in London, as confirmed by Nyesom Wike, the Rivers State Governor, who noted that issues plaguing the polity were discussed.

This situation fuelled speculations about a possible merger between both parties in order to wrestle power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Nonetheless, Obi’s campaign team debunked the reports, saying, “Rather than strive to contend with the hard sell of their candidates, these mischief makers bandy about misleading accounts of the issue-based messages of our candidates just to score cheap political points and thus distract the discerning public.

Read also: Peter Obi advocates participation of Nigerians abroad in future elections

“While we understand the frustration of dealing in their hard-to-sell, ‘expired milk’ [apologies to BAT] in a competitive market, the FairPlay rule demands that you don’t associate the good with the bad product. We demand honour even among thieves!

“We know the intention of the spin-doctors in selling an utterly false story that the highflying Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi, met with his PDP counterpart and reached a deal. Nothing can be further from the truth.”

It further added, “Obi’s foreign trip, its motive, and where and who to meet are already in the public domain; his meeting in the UK with some Nigerian political leaders is visually seen by all.

“But mischievous propagandists prefer to concoct lies in a desperate effort to clean up their candidate.

“We understand why the focus is on the Obi-Datti candidacy; they are easily the front runners in this 2023 race and the tag team has irresistible messages that are resonating with the embattled Nigerian public who are anxious more than ever to reclaim and take back their country.

“The LP candidates are on a divine mission to rescue and rebuild this country and cannot be distracted by any fabrications intended to mislead.

“If Obi’s mission is to rescue Nigeria from the old order, he ought not be seen working for the changing order.”

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