2027: North not swayed by one-term promise — ACF Spokesman
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) spokesman has reacted to reports suggesting that former President Goodluck Jonathan may be considered as a potential presidential candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2027 elections. Speaking on Arise TV yesterday, ACF National Publicity Secretary, Professor Tukur Muhammad Baba, said the North will not be influenced solely […]
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) spokesman has reacted to reports suggesting that former President Goodluck Jonathan may be considered as a potential presidential candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2027 elections.
Speaking on Arise TV yesterday, ACF National Publicity Secretary, Professor Tukur Muhammad Baba, said the North will not be influenced solely by the promise of a single-term presidency.
There are claims that some PDP leaders are working on drafting Jonathan and former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as presidential and vice presidential candidates for the 2027 elections.
But Baba said while Jonathan remains a respected figure, his eligibility for only one term should not be used as a political tool to gain regional support.
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“The idea of a one-term presidency is not a constitutional requirement but a political tactic. The electorate should decide if a candidate deserves a second term, and that choice should not be predetermined,” he said.
He noted that political alignments ahead of the 2027 elections reflect ongoing consultations among stakeholders seeking effective combinations to secure electoral success.
“Many politicians are weighing their options and trying out different alliances. These are early moves in a long race, and while it shows how seriously they take public opinion, it’s still premature to draw conclusions,” he said.
Jonathan, Atiku, Obi should be given a chance – Olawepo-Hashim
Meanwhile, a former presidential candidate and chieftain of the PDP, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has said former President Goodluck Jonathan, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, should be given a level-playing field to slug it out at the primaries if they have interest in running on the PDP platform.
Reacting to reports that top PDP leaders were wooing Jonathan and Obi back to the party’s fold, Hashim, in a statement yesterday by his Chief Press Secretary, Ibrahim Hassan Mahmoud, said their inclusion in the presidential race would strengthen the party.
“If Jonathan, Atiku, Obi and others wish to contest, they should be welcomed. Let the best ideas and visions emerge through fair competition,” he said.
“The more, the merrier,” Hashim said, maintaining that a competitive and transparent primary would revive the PDP’s tradition of internal democracy.
“The PDP was never meant to be an exclusive club. From day one, it was designed to be a national platform, a big umbrella for all shades of opinion, ideology and aspiration,” he added.