The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has officially dismissed allegations that it has reached an agreement to grant its presidential nomination to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar or any other prominent member in anticipation of the 2027 general elections.
Timothy Osadolor, the party’s Deputy National Youth Leader, provided clarification during an interview with Punch on Friday.
He affirmed the party’s dedication to maintaining a transparent and democratic approach in selecting its presidential candidate, noting that decisions regarding candidacy will follow established protocols.
“No individual has informed the party of their intention to run under the PDP banner for us to take a stance, and there is no agreement to award the ticket to a specific candidate. As of now, we have not announced the sale of nomination forms, nor have we called for primaries. Therefore, we are unaware of who may or may not be running,” Osadolor stated.
His comments came just days after Nyesom Wike, the Federal Capital Territory Minister, expressed skepticism about Atiku’s prospects of securing the PDP presidential nomination again in 2027.
Osadolor acknowledged that Wike’s assessment could hold merit when considering past events. However, he also pointed out that Atiku should not be completely dismissed from the race, drawing a parallel to Donald Trump’s unexpected victory.
He remarked, “If Trump could defeat Kamala Harris, anything is possible. Wike’s observations are indeed valid. Only someone resistant to change would ignore the points he raised because, ultimately, it’s about the people’s sentiments.”
Osadolor suggested that perhaps Atiku’s previous branding failed to resonate effectively with the public. “Nonetheless, there are still opinions that the elections were fraudulent and that he was the rightful winner. Regardless, I don’t envision him campaigning and winning without securing support from everyone, including Nyesom Wike himself.”
