A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Umar Sani, has stirred fresh speculation over the possible return of former President Goodluck Jonathan to the presidential race, saying the former leader has neither accepted nor rejected the party’s 2027 presidential ticket.
Sani made the remarks during an interview on Arise News monitored by The News Chronicle, while responding to questions about the PDP’s preparations for the 2027 general election amid its lingering internal crisis.
Speaking on concerns that the party could miss the election due to its leadership dispute, Sani expressed confidence that the PDP would participate in the polls.
He admitted that the party was no longer what its founding fathers envisioned but said efforts were ongoing to rebuild it.
“The PDP handed over to us by the founding fathers is not the PDP of today,” he said.
According to him, the party is still awaiting the interpretation of the Supreme Court judgment on its internal crisis, expressing optimism that the legal process would clear the way for the PDP to contest the election.
When asked who the party’s presidential candidate would be, Sani replied, “Our presidential candidate is there.”
Asked whether Jonathan had accepted the PDP’s presidential ticket, Sani said, “If he has not accepted, he has not rejected. In law, silence constitutes consent.”
His comment has added to growing speculation over Jonathan’s possible return to the presidential race ahead of the 2027 election.
Jonathan, who served as Nigeria’s president from 2010 to 2015, has not publicly declared interest in the 2027 presidency.
