2027: How Jonathan will return to Aso Rock as President – Gana

Former information minister and member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Professor Jerry Gana, has disclosed that former President Goodluck Jonathan will contest the 2027 presidential election under the party’s platform.

This is as the party, on Saturday, elected new executive members of the Niger State Working Committee (SWC) at a peaceful congress in Minna, Niger State.

Speaking to journalists after the congress, Professor Gana said: “I can confirm that Goodluck Jonathan will contest the presidential election in 2027 as a PDP candidate, and you will vote for him to return as president again. Former president, Goodluck Jonathan, is ready to return as Nigeria’s president again in 2027,” he said.

Gana pointed out that, “In 2015, Jonathan said his ambition was not worth the blood of Nigerians. After him, another President ruled for eight years, and now another has ruled for two years. Nigerians have seen the difference and the difference is very clear. Nigerians are now asking us to bring back our friend, former President Jonathan.”

He said the PDP is democratic, stressing that democracy deals with the will of the people to freely choose who they want. He added: “The PDP has a tremendous opportunity in 2027 because it is truly a grassroots party.”

“Nigerians love the PDP because it came with programmes that are people-oriented. That is why they remember PDP immensely, and they are urging us to come back.”

He dismissed insinuations of crisis in the party, explaining that, “when there was a near crisis in the party, the founding fathers convened a consultative conference in Abuja and addressed all those issues at that time.”

Professor Gana took a swipe at the government for not allowing foreign investors to move money into Nigeria, adding, “But this government has a number of evil gatekeepers, keeping away foreign investors. That’s their major problem. Nigeria is the best place to grow your money.”

Meanwhile, the state chapter of the party has elected Alhaji Aliyu Mohammed Halidu as the new chairman of the party after a peaceful congress at the party secretariat in Minna on Saturday.

The results of the congress, which was formally announced yesterday, saw Halidu emerge as the winner with 1,289 votes to defeat his closest rival, Yahaya Abdullahi, who secured 1,269 votes.

The Chairman of the PDP Electoral Committee, Tanimu Turaki, while announcing the results of the congress election, explained that only eight positions were contested for, while others were unopposed.

He declared Hadi Kuta as the state secretary of the party unopposed, while Salomi Ndakosu won the Women Leader’s position with 1,373 votes to defeat Ramotu Jibrin, who got 590 votes.

However, in his acceptance speech, the new chairman solicited the support of members to make the party great again, adding that, “PDP is strong in population at the grassroots.”

Halidu called on all aggrieved parties to shelve all differences towards ensuring the success of the party in the elections, starting from the local government elections scheduled for November this year.

He said, “PDP is ready to dislodge the ruling party in 2027. I, therefore, implore members to join hands in ensuring the return of the people-oriented government in 2027.”