PDP may offer Jonathan automatic ticket for 2027, says National Financial Secretary

|By Adejumo Adekunle

…Woyengikuro insists ex-president remains party’s strongest candidate
…Calls on Jonathan to return, play active role in party affairs

Daniel Woyengikuro, the National Financial Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has revealed that the party may consider offering former President Goodluck Jonathan an automatic ticket to contest the 2027 presidential election.

Woyengikuro, who spoke during a recent interview, said the former president still holds considerable political weight within the party and remains one of its most influential figures.

“Is he not the best candidate for us at this moment? He is not just a former president; he is the leader of the party now,” Woyengikuro said. “Aside from [former President Olusegun] Obasanjo, the next person in line is him. Goodluck Jonathan is the national leader of this party.”

He, however, noted that Jonathan would have to return to the PDP formally and take up a more active political role before such a move could be solidified.

When asked directly if Jonathan would be granted an automatic ticket, Woyengikuro did not mince words. “For me, that’s what I firmly stand for. You can quote me anywhere — I want him to come,” he said. “An automatic ticket for him, as it stands now. Because we must salvage both this party and the nation.”

Jonathan, who served as Nigeria’s president between 2010 and 2015 under the PDP, has remained politically influential despite maintaining a relatively low profile in recent years.

The possibility of his return to active politics is likely to stir debate within and outside the party, especially ahead of the 2027 general election.