The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that the 2027 presidential ticket is open to everyone in the party from the southern area, including former president Goodluck Jonathan.
Tanimu Turaki, the party’s National Chairman, said this in Abuja yesterday, immediately after meeting with former Vice President Namadi Sambo, according to the Daily Independent.
Turaki told reporters just after the three-hour meeting that Sambo had vowed to help the party become ready for the 2027 election.
When asked if Jonathan will run for president in 2027, Turaki stated, “You see, like I’ve always said, we in PDP have decided to zone our presidential ticket to the southern part of this country.” We don’t know who will be our candidate yet, but we do know who won’t be.
“So, it’s available to any member of the PDP who lives in southern Nigeria or has southern Nigerian roots.
“The process is going to be open, clear, fair, and equal, and it will make things fair for everyone.”
“So, if anyone wants to contest for any reason, we want to make sure that you, the people of Nigeria, will be the ones who choose your candidate.”
Turaki added, “We had met with His Excellency, and we had a very, very useful discussion with him,” on the condition that the former vice president would support the party before the 2027 election. We briefed him about the good things and the bad things that have happened since we were elected in Ibadan.
“And His Excellency has kindly given us advise and direction on how to move forward in order to make our party a real winning platform for Nigerians again.
“But the most significant thing for us tonight is the promise that His Excellency made to us that he is and would stay a member of the PDP.
“And His Excellency had promised us that he would soon be more active than he had been. He also told us that if there was ever anything that needed his attention, we shouldn’t be afraid to go to him and he would take care of it. And he will be there for us.
“So once again, we are glad that our leaders, the ones who have helped PDP do well in this country, are with us and will stay with us.”
Turaki remarked that courts shouldn’t get involved in party matters after the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court threw down the Samuel Anyanwu case.
He remarked, “Yes, it is a victory for us in the PDP family.” We have maintained over and over that the Supreme Court’s ruling is final. That our courts shouldn’t become involved in things that are only about political parties. And that is why, when some judges, who are judges of particular concern, have recently given judgments that are not based on any reasonable argument, they are trying to smear the name of the judiciary as an impartial institution, which is the last hope of the common man.
Justice Umar’s decision today has proven to us in the PDP that we are the real leaders of the party. Had proven that our convention was legal and that people can’t just go into a corner and claim to be the leader of a political party. This is not a group of people who work at a market or shine shoes. There has to be discipline in this political group.
When asked what the party is doing to speed up court cases, Turaki stated, “As a lawyer, I can tell you that the party’s only job is to make sure that all of our papers are filed correctly and on time.”
“For us, we do everything right. We have done all that we need to do. We’re waiting for something to be provided to us so that our lawyers can go and fight our appeals.
There were members of the Turaki-led NWC, Chairman of BoT Adolphus Wabara, pioneer PDP National Secretary Prof. Jerry Gana, former Minister of Women Affairs Iyom Josephine Anenih, leader of the PDP caucus in the House of Representatives, Hon. Fred Agbedi, former governor of Plateau State Jonah Jang, and other important people at the visit.
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