Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is actively courting former President Goodluck Jonathan and former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, to join the party and contest for the 2027 presidential election.
The governor, who is the chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, said this on Thursday when he was featured as a guest on ‘Politics Today’. On where Jonathan is being considered for the ticket, he said: “We are courting Jonathan, but he is not the only person.”
When asked if the PDP governors are courting Obi, Governor Mohammed said, “Have you not seen him in Bauchi several times? Have you not seen him with me? He is my brother and my friend, and one of the most celebrated politicians. You have also seen him within the coalition. Definitely, we are not sleeping; it is just that we don’t make noise about it.”
Governor Mohammed also said that the PDP lost the 2027 election because it failed to zone the presidential ticket to the South.
“Life is always a learning process. When we did it [throwing the ticket open] in 2023, it was not a pleasant experience, and that was why we lost, and I discovered to my surprise that the presidency is a consensus phenomenon. You cannot impose yourself on anybody or any group,” he said.
Last Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro, who was fielding questions on the same program, disclosed that talks are ongoing over a possible return of Obi and Jonathan to the PDP.
He said: “So, in the run-up to 2027, I am aware certain individuals have been talking to Peter Obi, ‘Hey, come back home, this is what we are likely to do, and if you come, you stand a chance of being the candidate. Some people are also talking to the former president to come and run. It is a possibility.”
The Sun
