A founding figure in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Jerry Gana, has revealed that he is spearheading a search committee within the party to identify a suitable presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 elections.
Just days earlier, the former Minister of Information disclosed ongoing efforts to bring back Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), to the PDP fold.
Obi, who previously served as Governor of Anambra State, resigned from the PDP on May 25, 2022, just days before the party’s presidential primary scheduled for May 28, 2022.
He subsequently joined the LP on May 27, 2022, where he emerged as the party’s standard-bearer for the 2023 presidential election.
Speaking on Prime Time, an Arise Television programme on Wednesday, Gana asserted that the PDP platform is currently so appealing that it might discourage rivals from competing in 2027.
He further reiterated that discussions are ongoing to woo Obi back into the PDP, despite reports linking him to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
“The PDP is on the ground. I’m a researcher, and I research opinions. In the northern states, Peter Obi under the PDP will defeat any candidate because our people are very fair-minded and just,” Gana stated.
“We are reaching out to Peter Obi. Because I’m leading a search team and there are many brilliant people, Peter may be good, but we have somebody better. So, we are searching,” he added.
Gana also reflected on the PDP’s strategic decisions during the 2023 election cycle, acknowledging the party’s error in how it handled Obi’s exit.
“We made a mistake in 2023. If I were Atiku, I would say, ‘Peter, it is now your turn; I would give you a vice-president,’ but he didn’t,” Gana said.