A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Umar Sani, has weighed in on the 2027 presidential race, stating that he believes former President Goodluck Jonathan would be a more favorable presidential candidate for his party than Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate.
Sani, a media aide to former Vice President Namadi Sambo, expressed this view on Trust TV’s Daily Politics on Saturday, in response to speculation about the PDP courting Obi and the potential return of Jonathan to the 2027 contest.
He asserted that, regardless of the truth of these speculations, the North would prefer Jonathan over Obi.
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According to Sani, Jonathan’s return to power for an additional four years would ensure the South completes an eight-year term in the presidency.
He argued, “I will prefer that President Jonathan takes the ticket, not because I do not like Obi, but because that will ensure that the South will have completed their four years.”
Sani further contended that, by law, Jonathan’s presidency could not exceed a four-year tenure, whereas Obi’s promise to serve for only four years is merely “political talk.”
He suggested that despite Obi’s integrity, it would be strategically better for the PDP and the North to support Jonathan, who is legally bound to leave after four years, rather than Obi, whose commitment is only by his word.
“Between somebody making a promise and somebody who is compelled by the law that he must leave, which one will you take?” Sani asked rhetorically.
“This one is compelled by the law, he does not need to make any promise. He has to go after four years. This one is making a promise. A promise can be kept and may not be kept either way. But on this one, you are sure that it must be kept. So for the North, I think Goodluck Jonathan is the best choice.”
Sani’s argument is based on the narrative that any Southern candidate for president in 2027 should be prepared to serve only one four-year term, thereby completing the region’s eight-year rotation and balancing the eight-year tenure of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, a Northerner.
While Obi has declared his intention to run in 2027 and stated his willingness to serve for only one term, Sani fears that an Obi presidency might shortchange the North and delay its return to power.
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