Umar Sani, a chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has said former President Goodluck Jonathan is the most viable and strategic option for the north if the party resolves to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the south.
Gatekeepers News reports that the former senior special assistant on media and publicity to former Vice President Namadi Sambo made the statement during an interview with Trust Atv.
Sani noted that while he supports rotational leadership between regions, such arrangements must be rooted in fairness and an honest assessment of the PDP’s history.
He said, “I am not against, you know, movement from the north to the south or from the south to the north.”
“But what I’m interested in is the justice of the matter, the equity and justice of the matter.”
Sani argued that the north has been historically underrepresented in the PDP’s leadership structure.
He said, “Of the 16 years of PDP, how many years has the north actually performed there? And how many has the south performed? That is the question that should agitate our minds.”
The politician dismissed the suggestion that the north should step aside in 2027 due to former President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent eight-year rule, noting that Buhari was not a PDP member.
However, he said if the party insists on zoning the ticket to the south, then it should go to the South-South region, with Jonathan as the preferred candidate.
He said, “But be as it may, I would prefer that President Jonathan take the ticket.”
“Not because I do not like Obi, but because that would ensure that the south would have completed their four years.”
Responding to questions about Obi’s pledge to serve only one term if elected, Sani dismissed it as a political talk with no legal weight.
He said, “Well, it’s just a political talk. It’s not about trusting him. The issue is, how are you sure that that thing will materialise?”
“This one (Jonathan) is compelled by the law. He does not need to make any promise. He has to go after four years.”
“This one (Obi) is making a promise. A promise can be kept and may not be kept. But on this one, you are sure that it must be kept.”
Sani concluded that for northern stakeholders in PDP, Goodluck Jonathan remains the most strategic option if 2027 ticket goes to the south.
