PDP also said it’s too late for the allies of the ruling APC within and outside the party to stop its convention billed for November.
By Kehinde Okeowo
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has admitted that former President, Goodluck Jonathan, is one of its options for the 2027 presidential election.
PDP made this known on Monday in Abuja when its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Debo Ologunagba, who doubles as the secretary of the Publicity Sub-Committee of its National Convention Organising Committee addressed journalists.
He was responding to an assertion by former Minister of Information, Prof Jerry Gana that Jonathan will contest the 2027 presidential election on the platform of the PDP.
The minister while speaking over the weekend said, “I can confirm that Goodluck Ebele Jonathan will contest the presidential election in 2027 as PDP candidate, and we should be prepared to vote for him to return as President again.”
Reacting to the statement, Ologunagba said he is neither the spokesman for Prof Gana nor Jonathan.
He, however, noted that the PDP boasts of performing governors and other excellent personalities, who may be considered for the party’s ticket.
He said: “I don’t speak for Prof Gana or former President Jonathan but our party has many worthy personalities and we shall cross the bridge when we reach there.”
Ologunagba went on to say it was too late for the allies of All Progressives Congress (APC) in and outside the PDP to stop its convention billed for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State.
He clarified that the party extended the deadline for submission of nomination forms so that further consultations can be conducted for states to take final decisions on micro-zoning of positions.
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On reports that a faction backed by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has successfully conducted a state congress and re-elected PDP’s former National Publicity Secretary, Venatius Ikem as its chairman, Ologunagba dismissed such perceptions as ‘mere hallucination’.
He said the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), led by Umar Damagum, had postponed the state congress and decided that Southsouth Zonal Caretaker Committee, led by Chief Emmanuel Ogidi, will oversee affairs in the Cross River state chapter until a decision is taken to notify INEC and conduct proper state congresses in Cross River, Plateau and Kebbi states, where the exercises have been postponed.
He said: “Emphatically, there was no PDP state congress in Cross River State; we are getting into the season of carnival in Calabar and those people only went there to do their carnival and it is okay because Calabar is a friendly place where people have a nice time, drink and have a jolly time.
“This party has its due process and for those who think they can gather people to have drinks and call it a party congress, that’s mere hallucination; as for anyone who seeks to bring the party into disrepute, we will follow them up with proper and due process.”
Also commenting on reports about conflicting letters sent to INEC by Damagum and the PDP National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, Ologunagba said the Damagum-led NWC is the sole body that decides for the party and not any individual.
“There are people in our fold who are working with APC; we know that but we are united as a political party and we are strongly focused,” he added.
