A flurry of consultations and horse trading is underway in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following last week’s decision of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) to zone the 2027 presidential ticket to the South.

Some prominent members of the party are already reaching out to stakeholders to indicate their interest in the race, an investigation by The Nation has revealed.

No fewer than six names are being speculated to be in the running. Party sources said more will join in the months ahead as the situation gets clearer.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan tops the list of those being tipped by some interests in the PDP.

Others are former Senate President Bukola Saraki, Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, presidential candidate of Labour Party in 2023 Mr. Peter Obi, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and the outgoing President of the African Development Bank, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina.

JONATHAN

Party sources identified a northern state governor as one of the key promoters of the ‘Jonathan for President’ Project.

The governor had served as a minister under Jonathan and would not mind becoming the former president’s running mate. His calculation is said to be based on his belief that he himself would be in a good position to run for the presidency in 2031 if the Jonathan ticket prevails in the 2027 election.

But sources said the project may not fly on account of Section 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which prevents anyone who has been sworn in twice as president from seeking election into the same office.

The Section stipulates thus: “A person who was sworn in as President to complete the term for which another person was elected as president shall not be elected to such office for more than a single term.”

Two months ago, former first lady Patience Jonathan hinted that her husband would not be in the 2027 race.

She also openly pledged her family’s support for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

Speaking during an award ceremony in Abuja, Dame Patience said: “We don’t have two Presidents. I am outspoken. If I don’t like something, I will say it. But if I like something, I die with it.

“I believe in one President. I believe in turn by turn. When it is your turn, I will support you. When it is not your turn, step back, so that the country can move forward.”

SARAKI

Party members rooting for Saraki believe that he needs to be compensated for standing by the party and not following his friends like the immediate past Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi to the ADC.

They are of the belief that he is popular, having held his ground against the Buhari government during his time as the Senate President.

They also cite his very rich friends who would not mind funding him.

But those against him wonder which part of the country he would claim to belong to: North or South?

Their argument is where will his running mate come from if he picks the ticket? They also say that he is overrated and lacks a solid base for now because his state, Kwara, is under the control of APC.

The adjoining state of Kogi, which his late father Dr. Olusola Saraki used to control, is also firmly in the grip of the APC.

WIKE

Party members in support of Wike are citing his immense contribution to the party over the years and his wide political network across the 36 states.

“Wike has given so much of his time and resources to the PDP and without his critical interventions and involvement, many PDP office holders and party officials that you see today wouldn’t have found it easy to be where they are now,” a federal legislator who pleaded anonymity told The Nation.

However, the minister himself has ruled out any interest in the contest against President Tinubu.

He has said on several occasions that while he remains a committed member of the PDP, he will support the President’s re-election bid.

Sources said he is also unlikely to square up with his former boss Jonathan in the event that the former President joins the race.

Wike was Jonathan’s Minister of State for Education, and the former president was instrumental to his emergence as the governor of Rivers State.

OBI

Some PDP leaders are trying to lure Peter Obi back to the party in the hope that he can help save it from total collapse following the recent gale of defections by many high profile members.

His name has come up because of his surprise performance in the last general election.

A founding member of the party, Prof. Jerry Gana, said in a television interview on Wednesday that Obi has what it takes to defeat any contender in the northern states if he contests on the PDP platform.

“I’m a researcher, and I research opinions. In the northern states, Peter Obi under the PDP will defeat any candidate, because our people are very fair minded,” Gana said.

Obi was a member of the PDP until he defected to Labour Party ahead of the 2023 elections.

He was the PDP vice presidential candidate in the 2019 election.

Obi had popped up at the recent movement of some opposition politicians to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Abuja, sparking speculation that he was on his way out of the LP.

He has since denied the speculation, saying he remains a member of the Labour Party.

Some PDP members, however, do not trust the former Anambra State governor to keep his promise to do only one term if elected.

A source said: “It is easy to make a promise. We have seen that before.

“The late leader of the Arewa Consultative Forum, Chief Sunday Awoniyi, once told the world how Chief Olusegun Obasanjo promised to do one term only for him to renege.

“We can’t be taken for a ride a second time.”

They are also not comfortable with his record of defections, first from APGA to PDP and then from PDP to LP.

Governors elected on the platform of the party are not likely to prefer him to Makinde, if the Oyo governor decides to contest.

There is no bond between the PDP governors and Obi.

MAKINDE

Supporters of Governor Makinde are of the view that he stands a good chance to face President Tinubu since he is from the same South West zone as the President.

Their calculation is that he will divide votes from the zone, thus giving the party some advantage.

One source said: “In the Southwest, there is only one loyal PDP governor. His Osun counterpart has already indicated support for Tinubu in 2027.

“Discussions are on, and if the ticket is zoned to the South or micro-zoned to the Southwest, the Oyo governor will be a major contender.”

But another source, who is a former member of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC), said: “I don’t have evidence that Seyi (Makinde) has opened discussion with Southwest stakeholders on any ambition.

“People are speculating his name as they are speculating the names of Obi and even Jonathan (former President Goodluck).

“He is hosting the convention in Ibadan. But it has nothing to do with any presidential ambition.”

He added: “One thing that may happen is that PDP would uphold zoning, and if that is done, aspirants from the Southeast, South-south and Southwest would be eligible. Then, the matter would be decided at a later presidential convention.”

The Chief Press Secretary to the Oyo State governor, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, said Makinde’s preoccupation for now is not a presidential aspiration, but the improvement of the lives of the people.

He said: The governor’s focus now is delivering the dividends of democracy to the greater number of the people of Oyo State. He is not considering running for president. He has not declared any ambition.

“His focus is satisfying the people of Oyo State and surpassing their expectation. He is focusing on the core assignment, which is impacting the lives of the people.”

In April, the governor, while speaking on the state of the nation, said he was competent and capable to lead the country as president.

Makinde said on Channels Television’s programme, ‘Politics Today,’ that he had accomplished more than just serving as the governor of Oyo State.

His words: “I don’t have any doubt that I have the capacity to occupy the highest office in this land, and I have what it takes.

“But is it what I want to do right now? Is it what Nigerians are asking for? Is it what my party will say we should do? I don’t know. We still have a long time to go.

“Where we are right now is, you know, we must fix our party. You must have a platform for you to even aspire to be anything.”

Makinde said no one would dictate his agenda, adding that he would not engage in what he described as gimmick-driven politics.

The governor said: “Right now, I am focusing on what people have given to me, the task ahead of us, and so I’m not distracted, and I will not play stunt politics.

“I will not do things because, well, it feels right in some people’s ears. No, we will stay focused to ensure that we bring dividends of democracy to our people.”

Makinde said he would not pursue any political ambition without proper preparation and a sense of accountability.

He added: “One thing you should expect from Seyi Makinde is that he will never come out to say, look, I want to do this, do X, Y, Z without preparation and without being held accountable for whatever it is that I say I want to do.

“If my political journey ends right here, I am also very happy. When I joined politics in 2007, I wanted to go to the Senate. I wanted to be a senator.

“But now, not only have I achieved more than that by being the governor of my state, I have also cherished the opportunity that people gave to me to make my own little difference.”

ADESINA

Dr. Adesina who is due to relinquish the AfDB presidency to his successor next month is essentially a technocrat.

He had served as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development under President Jonathan.

He said recently that he was willing to serve the country in any capacity; a statement some people have interpreted to mean that he was offering himself for the presidency.

A PDP national officer contacted yesterday said the party’s focus for now was getting rescued from the current challenges it is facing.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the official, who asked not to be named, said.

“We are more concerned about putting the party on a sound footing ahead of the 2027 elections.

“We want Nigerians to know that we remain a formidable party, determined to put forward a strong presidential candidate who is capable of restoring Nigeria’s glory.

Party’s ticket open to all, says Olawepo

The zoning of the PDP presidential ticket to the south has not gone down well with some sections in the party.

A group, Gbenga Hashim Solidarity Movement, claimed yesterday that no such decision was “reached by any constitutionally recognised organ of the PDP”

The group is mobilising for former presidential candidate, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim.

Its National Coordinator, Abdulrazaq Hamzat, said in a statement that even if informal discussions occurred, “they do not carry the force of party or constitutional authority, and could amount to a breach of the law if enforced.”

He faulted Prof. Gana’s statement that PDP chairmen from the Northern states unanimously resolved to zone the party’s presidential ticket to the South

“We have it on good authority that no such consultation held between the Northern Chairmen and the Professor,” Hamzat said.

Hamzat said that Gbenga Hashim Solidarity Movement cuts across PDP, APC, Labour party, active young and vibrant Nigerians who want to see a new Nigeria that works for all and not special interests.

He therefore urged the party leaders to prioritise unity, fairness and legality as the PDP prepares for its national convention in Oyo State later this year.

According to him, the National Working Committee (NWC) led by Ambassador Umar Damagun has worked tirelessly to foster inclusion and cohesion within the party and should be encouraged, not distracted by unverifiable claims or divisive rhetoric.

“The propagation of sectional narratives, no matter how well intentioned, could undermine the NWC’s efforts to unite the party and may reverse the gains recorded so far,” Hamzat cautioned.

“Only national agenda, devoid of regional and religious sentiment could position PDP as the beneficiary of the new wave of national consciousness ahead of 2027”.

He cited historical precedents to reinforce his position, noting that in the 1999 PDP primaries held in Jos, prominent Northern politicians such as Alhaji Abubakar Rimi contested freely alongside Southern contenders like Chief Alex Ekwueme and eventual winner, General Olusegun Obasanjo.

Similarly, in 2003, Rimi and Chief Barnabas Gemade again from the North contested for the party’s presidential ticket.

In more recent memory, the 2022 All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primaries featured aspirants from both North and South, such as Senate President Ahmad Lawan and Governor Yahaya Bello from the North, and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu from the South, who eventually emerged as the party’s candidate and went on to win the presidency.

Hamzat cited Section 42(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which prohibits discrimination based on place of origin, ethnicity or political affiliation.

“A citizen of Nigeria of a particular community, ethnic group, place of origin… shall not, by reason only that he is such a person… be subjected either expressly by, or in the practical application of, any law… to disabilities or restrictions to which citizens of Nigeria of other communities… are not made subject.”

Hamzat argued that any internal party arrangement, like zoning, which effectively bars qualified Nigerians from contesting for the presidency solely because of their region, would violate the spirit and letter of this constitutional provision.

“Zoning may serve as a gentleman’s agreement for balancing interests, but it must never become a legal or moral tool of exclusion. The Constitution remains supreme,” he stated.

He appealed to party stakeholders, including Professor Gana, to support the unifying and progressive efforts of the NWC as the PDP positions itself to reclaim national relevance ahead of the 2027 general elections (The Nation)