A Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chieftain and former member, Atiku Abubakar 2023 Presidential Campaign Council, Dr Adetokunbo Pearse, says the party does not need any merger ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Pearse, who spoke on Friday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, ruled out the possibility of any merger between the PDP and other political parties.

He noted that the PDP is not dead but only needed to close ranks and put its house in order to win elections.

“PDP cannot be running away. Let us forget merger. Are you talking about PDP merging with some of these political parties which do not have offices?

“We should look inward, reposition ourselves and improve the party, that is what we need to do.

“PDP is not finished if we do right thing. President Tinubu will be gone in 2027 if we do the right thing,” he said.

According to Pearse, there is no party PDP can merge with: “PDP needs to stand on its own and build what it has. If we build what we have we will defeat anybody.

“We have 13 governors now, we have 40 per cent of the National Assembly. What do we need merger for and with who? What can merger bring to PDP?”

On the outcome of the 2023 presidential election, Pearse said PDP’s candidate, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku’s failure to reconcile with ex-Rivers governor, Nyesom Wike, and others, paved the way for President Bola Tinubu to win the election.

“It was Atiku that failed to do his job. He didn’t do what he needed to do. He should not have fought against Wike, even if he didn’t want to use him as his vice, he could have promised to make him minister of petroleum.

“Wike will do the work and release money to prosecute the election and ensure victory for the party. He didn’t do it,” he said.

NAN reports that some politicians and analysts have been advocating a merger of opposition political parties ahead of the 2027 general election.