The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has denied reports suggesting that former President Goodluck Jonathan was invited to run for the presidency on its platform in the 2027 elections.
Speaking to BBC Hausa, Ibrahim Abdullahi, the deputy spokesperson of the opposition party, clarified that no ticket had been issued to Jonathan. He explained that a recent interview he gave was misinterpreted to suggest that the PDP had asked Jonathan to contest.
“The claim that the PDP has issued its presidential ticket to former President Goodluck Jonathan or invited him to contest the 2027 presidential election is false,” Abdullahi said.
Abdullahi recounted the circumstances surrounding the misunderstanding. “During an interview with a journalist, we discussed several issues. The journalist brought up President Jonathan, asking for my opinion since there are reports suggesting he is being encouraged to run for the presidency,” he explained.
“I responded by saying that Jonathan is legally eligible to contest because, as a Nigerian, he has the constitutional right to run for office, and he still has one more term available to him. However, this does not mean that the PDP has asked him to run,” he added.
The deputy spokesperson emphasized that the PDP has a pool of qualified individuals who can contest for the presidency under its banner. He stated that the party’s presidential ticket would only be given to someone who has formally expressed interest in running.
Goodluck Jonathan, who was a PDP member during his presidency, lost the 2015 election to Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Since then, speculation about his potential return to politics has persisted, but the PDP maintains that no formal invitation has been extended to him for the 2027 race.
