Ahead of the 2027 general election, founding members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have thrown their weight behind a presidential candidate of southern extraction to challenge President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The PDP elders made their stand known at the party’s pre-NEC conference held yesterday in Abuja under the theme ‘Reclaiming our legacy, renewing our collective vision’.
A retired professor of geography and former minister of information and national orientation (2021-2023), Prof Jerry Gana, who spoke on behalf of the elders, charged the leadership and stakeholders of the PDP to zone the 2027 presidential ticket to the southern part of the country.
Gana declared that the PDP remains “alive, flourishing and mobilising powerfully for the restoration of good governance, peace, security and prosperity in Nigeria.”
Gana said choosing the party’s presidential candidate would not only ensure victory at the polls, but also promote justice, fairness and equity.
He also stressed the need for the party to present a popular, credible and highly experienced presidential candidate for the election.
“From our renewed foundation, we should conduct a fair process to produce our presidential candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
“We should present to Nigerians not just a candidate, but a visionary leader – a tested and trusted patriot, a proven solution-provider, with a huge capacity and character to rescue Nigeria,” he said.
In line with the PDP’s commitment to youth inclusion, Gana urged the party to deliberately open the space for brilliant, energetic, and innovative young Nigerians to participate actively as leaders and candidates in the 2027 general elections.
“The PDP must deliberately open the space for younger Nigerians; brilliant, energetic and innovative minds should be allowed to participate actively as leaders within our party structures and as candidates at all levels in the 2027 general elections.
“Their ideas, energy and digital fluency are essential for building the Nigeria we all deserve.
“Our 2027 electoral strategy must elevate young leaders with fresh ideas and proven commitment.
“We should deliberately mainstream youth and women into our party’s core leadership structure, ensuring that their voices are heard and their contributions are highly valued,” he said.
Gana also appealed to all PDP leaders to agree at Thursday (today) national electoral committee (NEC) meeting to convene the national convention of the party to elect a fresh set of party officers, for the next four years.
He added that the party must also ensure a transparent and credible national convention that would set a gold standard for internal party democracy.
“The convention must be transparent, accountable, and reflective of our democratic ideals.
“No more backroom deals or impositions. Delegates should freely elect a new National Working Committee (NWC); men and women of proven integrity, competence, and unwavering loyalty to the ideals of PDP.
“The new NWC should be the engine room of our rebuilding, repositioning and resurgence of the PDP,” Mr Gana said.
He also decried the level of insecurity, inflation, and unemployment in Nigeria, saying the PDP founding fathers would soon unveil a “practical, solutions-driven manifesto” designed as a national recovery blueprint focusing on six strategic fronts.
The strategic areas, according to him, would include stability and good governance, lasting peace and security, economic transformation (shifting from consumption to production).
He said that the manifesto would also include rebuilding basic infrastructure, increasing agricultural production, ensuring sound education and sustainable healthcare delivery.
Gana affirmed the party’s commitment to rescuing Nigeria and restoring good governance, saying that “hope is not lost”.
“A new PDP is emerging, reformed, responsive, and ready,” Gana said.
Turning his attention to the present government, Gana said the last decade under the APC has been “the most retrogressive in Nigeria’s history.”
He accused the APC of failing on all major fronts, including security, economy and national unity, citing alarming statistics on kidnapping, inflation, unemployment and Nigeria’s fall from Africa’s top economic position.
“Over 4,000 Nigerians were kidnapped and 1,500 killed in just the first half of 2024. Inflation has surpassed 33.95 per cent, the naira has lost over 765 per cent of its value since 2015, and over 133 million Nigerians now live in multidimensional poverty. This is not governance; this is regression,” he added.
Party leaders at the conference included PDP governors, board of trustee members, national assembly members, former governors, former ministers, ambassadors, women and youth leaders.
