The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dismissed claims that it invited former President Goodluck Jonathan to join the 2027 presidential race on its platform.
Ibrahim Abdullahi, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, spoke to PulseNets, debunking the reports during an interview with BBC Hausa. He clarified that the party had not offered its presidential ticket to Jonathan.
According to Abdullahi, the rumors suggesting that the PDP had ceded its presidential ticket to Jonathan or invited him to run for the 2027 elections are untrue.
“What happened is this: I had an interview with a journalist where we discussed some issues.
“But in the course of the interview, he mentioned President Jonathan, asking about our opinion of him, because there are reports that he is being urged to run for the presidency,” Abdullahi told PulseNets.
He explained further that his response was based on the former president’s eligibility to contest, stating that as a Nigerian, Jonathan has the legal right to run for office and still has one more term left under the law.
“There is nothing wrong with Jonathan contesting the presidential election because he is eligible in the face of the law,” Abdullahi stated.
Abdullahi told PulseNets that the PDP has done enough for the former president, emphasizing that as a member of the party, there would be no need to lobby him to run.
He added that the party leadership had not held any discussions with the former president regarding the matter, pointing out that the PDP has 12 governors and numerous other qualified and competent politicians who could vie for the presidency under its banner.
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Referencing recent statements, Abdullahi observed, “It wasn’t long ago that Dame Patience, Jonathan’s wife, said nothing would make her husband run for the presidency, stressing that he didn’t leave behind or forget anything in the Presidential Villa for people to think that he would come back to contest the position again.”
PulseNets learned that Abdullahi’s comments aim to set the record straight, amid widespread speculation over the former president’s political future.
