The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has supported the call for former President Goodluck Jonathan to join the 2027 presidential race.

Recall that the Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed vowed to jettison his presidential ambition if Jonathan indicates any interest to contest.

Some northern elites and politicians who are displeased with President Bola Tinubu’s administration have also called for Jonathan’s return to the presidency.

Reacting to the development during an interview with Punch, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Ibrahim Abdullahi, said the position of the Bauchi governor and northern elites resonated with the opposition party.

He said, “We are absolutely in support of the position of the Bauchi State governor. Don’t forget, he was a prominent member of the. Jonathan’s administration where he was a minister. As the chairman of the 13 governors of the PDP, a two-term minister, former senator and a two-term governor rounding off his second term, you will expect him to understand and appreciate the situation of where this country is coming from, where it is at the moment and where we hope to take it to in the future.

“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 reminded that the decision may not go down well with PDP former presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who has been labelled a serial contester by the ruling All Progressives Congress, the PDP spokesman  argued that Atiku cannot dictate for the party who to field in 2027 despite being a major stakeholder of the PDP.

“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.

Northern Nigerian leaders are coming together for a crucial summit to strengthen the region’s political and economic standing ahead of the 2027 elections.

This initiative, spearheaded by the League of Northern Democrats—a group comprising former governors, senators, and other key figures—is centered on addressing the region’s political trajectory, economic growth, and security issues.

The initiative follows the 2023 general elections, which saw political power shift to the southern region after eight years under former President Muhammadu Buhari, a northerner.

During the election, major contenders included Bola Tinubu of the APC from the South West, Peter Obi of the Labour Party from the South East, and Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, representing the North.

The recent #EndBadGovernance protests in the North, marked by demonstrations and the display of Russian flags, demanding the overthrow of the democratically-elected president, have raised significant concerns among the region’s leaders.

Vice President, Kashim Shettima, addressing the situation, revealed that a high-level meeting of northern stakeholders, including governors, politicians, business executives, and traditional leaders, will soon be convened.

The meeting aims to address the violence witnessed during the protests and explore solutions to the region’s challenges, which Shettima attributed to leadership failures.

The summit will officially be announced at a forthcoming event in Kaduna.

Speaking on the plan for a northern summit on Tuesday, the Protem Chairman of the LND and former governor of Kano State, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, said, “The LND resolved to organise a Northern Nigerian Political Summit, to be held in Kaduna.

“This summit will serve as a platform for discussing the region’s political future, economic development, and security challenges. It will bring together key leaders, thinkers, and influencers to chart a new course for the North.”

In an interview with journalists on the sidelines of the meeting, Shekarau expressed the group’s concern about the progress of the region.

He said the group intended to evaluate the challenges confronting the North, particularly security issues, and create a document detailing possible solutions to tackle the problems.

Shekarau said, “We came together to analyse and review the problem bedevilling the northern part of Nigeria. We said we need to embark on general societal reorientation, to enlighten the people on what are their basic challenges and their basic needs.

“It is apolitical though. It is not about any person or any political party, and it is necessarily not about 2027. It is an all-time issue. We want to produce a document, which is not about a year, two-year, or 10-year issue.

“The whole idea is to produce a document that we can confront anybody seeking our votes that these are the aspirations of our people and we want you to assure us that this will be part of your guiding principles.”

In a communiqué jointly signed by the convener, Umar Ardo, and the interim secretary, Emmanuel Jime, the LND announced its resolution to unify the North and reestablish it as a dominant force in national politics.

To achieve this, the group planned to invite prominent northern stakeholders, including former heads of state, current and former vice presidents, and former Senate presidents to rally support for the initiative.

According to the communique, the LND would engage with past Speakers of the House of Representatives, former security chiefs, and other influential figures to gather widespread backing for their efforts.

The statement reads, “The LND resolved to prioritise the political unity of Northern Nigeria. Recognising the diverse backgrounds and experiences within our ranks, we are committed to fostering a strong sense of community and solidarity.

“This unity will serve as the foundation for our efforts to reposition the North as a leading force in Nigeria’s political landscape.”

The leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress has threatened to down tools nationwide in the event that the Nigeria Police detains its President, Comrade Joe Ajaero.

The union handed down the threat on Tuesday morning at its headquarters, shortly after holding an emergency National Executive Council meeting to discuss the invitation of the NLC President by the police over allegations of terrorism financing.

The NEC resolved that Ajaero should honor the police invitation but noted that their legal adviser should seek more time for the NLC President to appear before the police authorities.

Comrade Ado Kabiru Sani, the Deputy President of the NLC, enjoined the nation’s workforce to remain on standby for further directives should the police act contrary to their expectation of detaining Ajaero.

His words: “As a committed labor center, we will honor the invitation of the police because we are not a faceless organization, but we are working with our lawyer for an extension of time.

“In the event that the President is arrested, all workers will down tools immediately. We should wait for further directives from our leadership.”

[DailyPost]