Jonathan won’t get automatic PDP ticket in 2027 – Group declares

The Gbenga Hashim Solidarity Movement (GHSM) has declared thay former president Goodluck Jonathan will not enjoy a “free ride” to the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2027.

The group was reacting to remarks credited to Professor Jerry Gana, a former minister of information, who suggested Jonathan’s possible comeback on the PDP platform.

In a statement, Abdulrazaq Hamzat, GHSM national coordinator, said the party’s flagbearer would only emerge through an open and transparent process in line with the Electoral Act 2022.

“With due respect, Professor Jerry Gana is entitled to his enthusiasm about the return of former president Jonathan. However, only PDP delegates to the national convention can pick the party’s flagbearer, and ultimately, God Almighty will determine the outcome, not a few party stalwarts,” Hamzat said.

Hamzat argued that Nigerians are yearning for progress, not a return to the past, warning that Jonathan represents an “old order” many citizens are ready to consign to history.

“The Jonathan era cannot be painted as a perfect time. It was a period when the diversity of our nation began to be deeply mismanaged, rekindling ethnic tensions and religious bigotry, a legacy that has unfortunately worsened under subsequent governments,” he said.

He also faulted Jonathan’s foreign policy record, citing Nigeria’s 2011 decision to break ranks with the African Union and support NATO’s intervention in Libya.

Hamzat described the move as a “strategic blunder” that destabilised the Sahel and aggravated insecurity across Nigeria, Mali, Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso, and other West African countries.

He added that the PDP remains a democratic platform where no aspirant, including former presidents, should expect automatic endorsement.

“If president Jonathan desires a return to Aso Rock, he must be ready to square up with nationally unifying aspirants such as Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim in an open and transparent primary,” Hamzat declared.

He maintained that Nigerians deserve fresh leadership and a new vision to tackle the nation’s challenges, insisting that “the only way forward is forward, not backwards.”