PDP Disowns Jews Gana Over Pro-Jonathan 2027 Presidential Comment

By: Derick Peretengboro

Abuja, September 30, 2025 – The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has distanced itself from a statement credited to its former National Chairman and ex-Minister of Information, Professor Jerry Gana, who recently claimed that former President Goodluck Jonathan would emerge as the party’s Presidential candidate in the 2027 general elections.

The party’s National Working Committee (NWC) clarion Monday that Gana had no mandate to speak on behalf of the PDP regarding its choice of candidate.
National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, speaking to journalists in Abuja, stressed that the PDP has many capable leader, particularly among its governors, who are more than qualified to contest the presidency when the time comes.

He said:
“Professor Jerry Gana doesn’t speak for the PDP. I don’t also speak for Professor Jerry Gana. People can express their opinion. But I will emphasise this. In this party, as we are on Tueday, President Jonathan is a member, he has not said he’s not a member.

“But I can tell you, today that this party has eminently qualified Nigerians, particularly at the governors level, who have done exceedingly well, that Nigeria can tap on that and say, step up the place and do the right thing, because their performances in their states show their capacity, which is the DNA of the PDP.

“So, I don’t speak for President Jonathan. I don’t speak for Professor Jerry, with all due respect. But our party is focused on our convention and when we get to that bridge, we’ll cross it. Those should be semantics.”
Gana had earlier, while addressing party members during the weekend in Mina after the Niger State PDP Congress, insisted that Jonathan would contest the 2027 elections on the PDP platform. He compared life under Jonathan with the years that followed, now desired his return.
According to him:

“In 2015, former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan said his ambition is not worth the blood of Nigerians. After another president ruled for eight years now another has ruled for two years.

“Nigerians have seen the difference and the difference is clear. “Nigerians are now asking us to bring back our friend, former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

“I can confirm that Goodluck Ebele Jonathan will contest the presidential election in 2027 as PDP candidate and you will vote for him to return as President again.”

Meanwhile, the Presidency reacted sharply to the development, saying Jonathan had the right to run but warning that his record in office remained a burden.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement on Monday, titled “Former President Jonathan is welcome to the race. Nigerians will remember his dismal record in office,” said:

“President Jonathan reserves the right to run if he wishes. It is his inalienable right to contest the presidency again.

“But Jonathan will have his date in the court of the land…and will also have his encounter with the people as to whether he has anything new to offer after his disastrous six years, for which they voted him out in 2015.”

Onanuga further described the PDP’s move as “absurd,” arguing that Jonathan’s potential candidacy on the platform of a party that “bequeathed a legacy of economic ruins after 16 years of bad governance” would not sit well with Nigerians.