As political drums begin to beat ahead of 2027, Umar Sani, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has stirred the waters. He believes the North would rather support former President Goodluck Jonathan than the Labour Party’s Peter Obi.
Sani made this known on Trust TV’s Daily Politics, reacting to speculations that the PDP might be courting Obi or preparing for Jonathan’s return.
He said the North’s preference is rooted in strategy, not sentiment.
“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.”
Why Jonathan Over Obi?
Sani argued that Jonathan’s presidency would be constitutionally limited to one term. That, he said, gives the North a clearer path to power in 2031.
“Between somebody making a promise and somebody who is compelled by the law that he must leave, which one will you take?” he asked.
2027: North’s Best Bet is GEJ PDP Chieftain Umar Sani
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He says Goodluck Jonathan is the only Southern candidate the North can fully trust and rally behind to defeat APC. Watch and share! 👇#GEJ2027 #PDP Morocco Esther Okoronkwo pic.twitter.com/tH1B8LvtEz
“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.”
Obi had earlier declared his intention to run in 2027, pledging to serve only one term. But Sani dismissed that as “political talk.”
He insisted that Jonathan’s legal limitation is more reliable than Obi’s verbal commitment.
Zoning, Equity, and Power Rotation
The PDP has already zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to the South. This move aligns with the party’s internal power-sharing formula and the push to balance the eight-year tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Sani’s argument reflects a broader sentiment among northern stakeholders who want the South to complete its turn before power returns northward.
“Jonathan’s presidency, if it happens, ends constitutionally in four years. Obi’s ends only if he chooses. For us in the North, that difference is very important,” he added.
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