Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, and other South-East leaders on Monday held a closed-door meeting with former President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja ahead of the 2027 general election.

The meeting, held at Mr Jonathan’s residence, was attended by several South-East leaders.

Present at the meeting were former Enugu State Governor, Okwesilieze Nwodo; former Imo State Governor, Achike Udenwa; former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Onyema Ugochukwu and Senator Victor Umeh, among others.

Mr Obi, who spoke to journalists shortly after the meeting, said they consulted with the former president over the 2027 general elections.

He said Mr Jonathan wished Nigeria well and hoped for free, fair and credible elections in 2027, adding that the country must not become a one-party state.

“He wished that we have free, fair, credible election. That would be his wish. There can’t be one party system. He cannot support such a thing. Nobody can claim to be more of a democrat in this country. In terms of those who have led this country without putting him (Jonathan) as number one,” he said. 

He said Mr Jonathan served the country faithfully and is a committed democrat.

On endorsement, he said, “We are not talking about endorsement yet. When I become a candidate, I will come for it. He wishes the country well, and we are here to consult with him.”

“We, some notable South-East leaders have come in consultation to our respected former President Goodluck Jonathan, That’s basically what it is. It is on 2027 elections and it is all about Nigeria.

“We are now seeing him (Jonathan) in the categories we have come to see former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former president Ibrahim Babangida and others, so that is the category we are seeing now.

“They are fathers now. They are not defecting. They are not involved. But we need to consult them, because especially someone like him (Jonathan) who served the country very faithfully, focused, and did what is expected in a democracy in this declining situation,” Mr Obi said.