The People Democratic Party (PDP) has said former President Goodluck Jonathan and any of its members from southern Nigeria, are free to contest the primary to fly the party’s flag in the 2027 presidential election.
PDP National Chairman Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN who led the National Working Committee (NWC) for a close door meeting with former Vice President Arc. Nnamdi Sambo on Tuesday, said the party has zoned its presidential ticket for 2027 to the southern part of the country.
He said the party does not know who may emerge as its presidential candidate in 2027, “even though we know those who will not be our candidate.”
Turaki assured that the party will conduct open and transparent election, adding, the ticket is “open for every member of PDP that is living in southern Nigeria or southern Nigeria descent.
“The process is going to be open, it’s going to be transparent, it’s going to be fair, it’s going to be equitable, and it’s going to create level playground for everybody.
“For whatever reason, anybody wants to contest, we want to assure you, Nigerians, that you will be the deciders of who becomes your candidate.”
Turaki also reacted to the dismissal of the case filed against the PDP by former National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and said it is a vindication that the party conducted legal national convention in Ibadan, Oyo State last year where the new NWC members were elected.
“We have said times and times again that the decision of the Supreme Court is sacrosanct, that our courts have no business meddling into matters that are purely political party matters.
“And that is why when some judges, who are judges of particular concern, have recently given judgements, dabbling into issues they ordinarily should not dabble into, and given judgements, as it were, that cannot be rationalised by whatever level of argument you want to advance, if anything, trying to smear the name of the judiciary as an impartial institution, which is the last hope of the common man.
“The judgement of Justice Umar had vindicated us in PDP that we are the genuine leaders of PDP; had vindicated us that our convention was legitimately done; had vindicated us that, indeed, people cannot just go in one corner and then begin to ascribe to themselves the leadership of a political party.
“This is not a market association, neither is it an association of shoe-shiners. This is a political party, and there must be discipline,” he added.
Turaki said the former vice president whom he said, proffered advice and guidance to on how to move the party forward as veritable winning platform for Nigerians, assured of his continued membership of the PDP.
“His Excellency had assured us that very soon that he will become more active than he used to be.
“He assured us that should there be anything at any time that requires attention, that we should not hesitate to run to him and he will be up and doing,” he disclosed.
He assured that very soon PDP will return to winning ways, adding that the NWC is trying to reposition the party to “win all elections that are going to be conducted in this country, beginning with the FCT area council elections, the Ekiti and Osun off-season elections. So I want to assure us that we are on course.”
