Politics

2027: APC Pushes Back As PDP Endorses Call For Jonathan’s Return

Published

3 months ago

Aug 21, 2024.

Dennis

The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed strong support for former President Goodluck Jonathan’s potential candidacy in the 2027 presidential election.

In recent weeks, rumours have circulated that northern elites and politicians are growing dissatisfied with President Bola Tinubu’s administration, with some quietly advocating for a change in leadership in the next election.

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Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, added his voice to the calls for Jonathan’s return, even pledging to set aside his own presidential ambitions if the former president agrees to run. Mohammed made this declaration during an event organized by the non-governmental organization Save Africa Initiative in Abuja, emphasizing Jonathan’s experience and ability to revive the economy.

In an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Ibrahim Abdullahi, echoed the sentiments of Governor Mohammed and northern elites. He affirmed the PDP’s alignment with their views, noting that Governor Mohammed, with his extensive political background—including roles as a minister under Jonathan, a two-term senator, and governor—has a deep understanding of the country’s past, present, and future needs.

“If you are talking about a southern Presidency in 2027, we should be looking at one who had enjoyed one term and will probably give Nigerians hope and prosperity as opposed to the one we have in power. Secondly, if you are also talking about a nationalist, somebody who would not rig an election to keep himself in office, who announced before the counting process was over, that he lost, it has to be Jonathan.

“You remember that he called the victor, congratulated him and asked him to send people for the transition process. So, it is this kind of person with a listening ear that we believe can save the situation. No President in Nigerian history has been as criticised as Ebele Jonathan. We tolerated all sorts of insults targeted at us and his Presidency. But today, he is the one everybody is looking for with torchlight, even in broad daylight.”

When asked about the possibility of the decision causing friction with former PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, who has been labeled a “serial contender” by the ruling All Progressives Congress, the PDP spokesperson dismissed the concern.

He emphasized that despite Atiku being a major stakeholder in the party, he does not have the authority to dictate who the PDP fields in 2027.

“It is not the place of Atiku to decide for the PDP. We are running a national political party, for crying out loud; one that has governed this country for 16 years. We cannot be expected to have one person determining the direction of the party. If anything, we respect him. He has given it (the presidency) a trial and has been on this for too long.

“But there are times when you realise a battle is no longer around you and you support someone. This is how things are done. If in 2019, we tried, in 2023, we tried again with Atiku, there is nothing wrong in trying someone else in 2027, especially if the odds seemed to favour that person more, which is the case.

“The situation this country is facing today is one that has gone beyond party lines or other narrow considerations. We require a nationalist in the clout of Goodluck Jonathan to be able to salvage the situation. It is clear that for the six and a half years that he was President, he was able to stabilise the forex to a very reasonable extent. The country was able to go on single digit inflation. This we will continue to reference,” he stated.

In an exclusive phone interview with our reporter, the party’s National Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, ridiculed the PDP, suggesting that the party is exhibiting signs of desperation in its efforts to hold onto anything for survival.

Ibrahim also cautioned that if Jonathan decides to run against President Bola Tinubu on the opposition party’s platform in the next election, he would face another bitter defeat.

He said, “For us to start talking about 2027 is not only premature, but a calculation that is doomed. Less than 40 per cent of the mandate given to the President under the APC has not even been consumed. There is just no way the APC as a party will be jittery, if at all, there is such plan to enrol former President Goodluck Jonathan into the race.

“The APC defeated him when he was in power. Defeating him when he’s out of power will be a walkover. It is something that cannot even give the party a sleepless night. So, whoever is making this permutation, if the intention is to scare the APC as a party, I think he needs to go back to the drawing board and think again. We are not worried.

“As I said, let’s get to the river before we start thinking of crossing it. It is too early to start talking about 2027. But if you bring 10 former President Jonathan, they cannot defeat the APC as of today.”

When informed that many political analysts believe the APC’s victory over Jonathan in 2015 was largely due to former President Muhammadu Buhari’s widespread support, Bala Ibrahim chuckled.

The APC spokesman firmly stated that it’s well-documented that Tinubu led the party when Buhari defeated the Otuoke politician. He expressed confidence that history will repeat itself if Jonathan accepts the PDP’s offer to run against Tinubu.

“The truth is that the APC defeated Goodluck Jonathan when the President (Tinubu) was the leader of the party. The APC will defeat him again now that Tinubu is the President and the leader of the party. It is not the Buhari’s cult followership that matters. It is the party arrangement. Buhari did not contest on an independent candidature status.

“Forget about the shenanigans that are on display now. When it’s time for election, the party will readily package its candidate and matches them for the consumption of the people. And I assure you that the people will buy it. But it is too early to start discussing this. But you know politicians for who they are.

“They always want to heat up the politics so that they keep seeing things as relevant. But in a four-year term, the president has just done slightly above one year and you are already thinking of somebody to bring in. No problem, democracy permits people to test the waters. But we will do things when it is time for them to be done,” he stated.

Efforts to get the reaction of Jonathan’s camp were unsuccessful.

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