The Gbenga Hashim Solidarity Movement has said that former President Goodluck Jonathan will not automatically get the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential ticket in 2027.
The group was reacting to comments by Prof. Jerry Gana, who hinted at Jonathan’s possible return to the PDP platform.
GHSM National Coordinator, Abdulrazaq Hamzat, explained that only party delegates at the national convention can choose the PDP flagbearer, stressing that the process must be open and transparent under the Electoral Act 2022.
“With all due respect, Prof. Gana has the right to support Jonathan’s return. But the choice lies with PDP delegates, and ultimately with God, not a few party leaders,” Hamzat said.
He argued that Nigerians want progress, not a return to the past, warning that Jonathan represents an “old order” that many citizens want to move beyond.
Hamzat criticized Jonathan’s record, pointing to mismanagement of Nigeria’s diversity, rising ethnic and religious tensions, and his decision in 2011 to support NATO’s intervention in Libya against the African Union’s position a move Hamzat described as a “strategic mistake” that fueled insecurity in West Africa.
On governance, he noted that Jonathan still faces questions over corruption allegations, especially the Dasukigate arms scandal.
Hamzat stressed that PDP is a democratic party where no aspirant, including ex-presidents, should expect automatic endorsement.
“If Jonathan wants to return to Aso Rock, he must compete with unifying leaders like Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim in a fair primary,” he said.
He concluded that Nigerians deserve fresh leadership and new ideas to solve today’s challenges, adding: “The only way forward is forward, not backward.”
