The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has dismissed claims that it is urging former President Goodluck Jonathan to run in the 2027 presidential election.

Ibrahim Abdullahi, the party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, clarified during an interview with BBC Hausa that the PDP has neither issued a presidential ticket to Jonathan nor invited him to contest.

“The report that PDP has given its presidential ticket to former President Goodluck Jonathan or urged him to run in 2027 is untrue,” Abdullahi stated. “During an interview, I was asked about Jonathan’s eligibility to contest the presidency. I responded that as a Nigerian, he has the legal right to do so and still has one term left. However, that does not mean we are urging him to run.”

Abdullahi emphasized that the PDP has no plans to woo Jonathan, noting that the party has already done much for the former president, who remains a member of their party. He also pointed out that the PDP has a pool of eligible and competent candidates, including 12 sitting governors, who could run for the presidency.

He referred to past remarks by Jonathan’s wife, who reportedly stated that her husband had no intention of returning to the presidency. “How can we consider him when he has shown no interest? A ticket is reserved for someone who indicates they want to run,” Abdullahi concluded.