Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has called on Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, to return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as part of a broader effort to unify Nigeria’s opposition before the 2027 general elections.

Mohammed, who chairs the PDP Governors’ Forum, made the appeal on Friday during a meeting with Obi and his supporters at the Government House in Bauchi. He warned that the fragmentation of opposition forces, including the adoption of smaller platforms such as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2025 elections, would weaken efforts to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“We have to harmonise our interests in the interest of the people of Nigeria. The opposition must come together. This ADC, PDP, and even the remaining political parties should come together,” Mohammed said.

He accused the APC of failing to deliver on campaign promises, pointing to worsening economic hardship across the country. “There is a lot of hunger and anger,” the governor added, urging Obi to “come back to where you belong” and avoid “places that are in disarray.”

In response, Obi said his visit to Bauchi was primarily to meet with students and promote a new brand of politics rooted in competence, capacity, and compassion.

“Our politics must change. It has to be politics of development… Alliance is not for power grabbing, but to bring about changes and development,” Obi stated.

The LP leader, who is also part of an ADC coalition, announced donations of ₦10 million to Malikiya College of Nursing Sciences and Intisharu Islamic, as well as ₦5 million to the Quranic Memorisation School in Bauchi.

Efforts to bring Obi back to the PDP have intensified in recent months. In July, party founding member Jerry Gana confirmed ongoing talks, describing the PDP as a “credible alternative” ahead of the next presidential race.