A founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Minister of Information, Professor Jerry Gana, has revealed that the party is engaging in strategic consultations with the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, and other prominent southern political figures ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Prof. Gana made the disclosure during an interview on African Independent Television (AIT) on Friday, where he spoke at length on the PDP’s past decisions and its future prospects.
His comments come amid growing speculation that the party may zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South, a move that has triggered discussions about a potential alliance with Obi, a former PDP vice-presidential candidate and ex-Governor of Anambra State.
The speculations intensified last week after the PDP’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi, described Obi as “our product,” stating, “We want to get him back, indeed, because he is a very, very great capital for any political party.”
When asked to confirm whether discussions were ongoing with Obi, Prof. Gana responded affirmatively, saying, “Yes, why not? He was our member. In fact, if I were the former Vice President, I would have in 2023 said, ‘No, Peter, you were my vice-presidential candidate in 2019. Now, I’ll support you.’ It would have been a strong statement.”
Although he noted that formal negotiations with Obi had not yet commenced, Gana said preliminary talks were ongoing with key individuals in the former governor’s circle.
“I have met people. I have met him, and I have met people he would refer to, and I have sat with them for hours. We are moving step by step,” he said.
Gana, who is part of a PDP consultative delegation tasked with rebuilding political alliances, stressed that the engagement was not limited to Obi alone.
“We’re not just looking at one person. One, two, three, even more. You know, the South is full of talents,” he stated, suggesting that the party is casting a wide net as it repositions itself ahead of the next election cycle.
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Prof. Gana also reflected on the events leading to the 2023 presidential election, where the PDP fielded former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as its candidate. He acknowledged that the decision to support Atiku was contentious within the party but ultimately accepted in the spirit of unity.
“If you ask many of our members, they’ll say we’re a quietly answered prayer, because really, there’s absolutely nothing else we’ve not done to show that we are brothers with Vice President Atiku Abubakar,” he said.
Gana recalled Atiku’s history with the PDP, noting his departure in 2014 to join the then-emerging All Progressives Congress (APC), and his return ahead of the 2019 elections where he once again clinched the PDP’s presidential ticket.
“In 2019, he didn’t get it at first, but we gave him another opportunity in 2023 based on his previous candidacy,” Gana said.
He further disclosed that he hosted a critical meeting at his Abuja residence in 2023 to reconcile Atiku and then-Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, in an attempt to unite the party before the general elections.
“To be fair to both of them, they honored me. They came to my small house, and I said, ‘Look, Nigerians expect the PDP to win this election.’ So let’s resolve this matter, so that we win and form government,” he said.
Gana said there was an understanding that the outcome of the party’s presidential primary would be respected, even though, in his view, the ticket ideally should have been zoned to the South.
“Sincerely, this thing should have initially gone to the South. But now you’ve won the primaries, you’ve been elected. We’ll respect the will of the people,” he said.
He added that Wike, who was overlooked for the vice-presidential slot, demanded that the national chairmanship of the party be ceded to the South as compensation.
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