The Gbenga Hashim Solidarity Movement (GHSM) has warned that former President Goodluck Jonathan will not enjoy an automatic ticket to contest the 2027 presidential election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Reacting to comments by former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, hinting at Jonathan’s possible comeback, GHSM National Coordinator, Abdulrazaq Hamzat, insisted that the PDP flagbearer would only emerge through a transparent process in line with the Electoral Act 2022.
“With due respect, Prof. Jerry Gana is entitled to his enthusiasm about the return of former President Jonathan. However, only PDP delegates to the national convention can pick the party’s flagbearer, and ultimately, God Almighty will determine the outcome, not a few party stalwarts,” Hamzat said in a statement.
He argued that Nigerians are yearning for progress, not a return to the past, stressing that Jonathan represents an “old order” many citizens are prepared to consign to history.
“The Jonathan era cannot be painted as a perfect time. It was a period when the diversity of our nation began to be deeply mismanaged, rekindling ethnic tensions and religious bigotry, a legacy that has unfortunately worsened under subsequent governments,” he said.
On foreign policy, Hamzat faulted Jonathan’s decision in 2011 for Nigeria to back NATO’s intervention in Libya against the African Union’s position, describing it as a “strategic blunder” that destabilized the Sahel and worsened insecurity across Nigeria and neighbouring countries.
Domestically, he said Jonathan still has questions to answer over corruption scandals that dogged his administration, particularly the infamous Dasukigate arms procurement scandal.
Hamzat, however, acknowledged that the PDP remains a democratic platform where no aspirant, including former presidents, should expect automatic endorsement.
“If President Jonathan desires a return to Aso Rock, he must be ready to square up with nationally unifying aspirants such as Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim in an open and transparent primary,” he declared.
He concluded that Nigerians deserve fresh leadership and a new vision to tackle national challenges, insisting: “The only way forward is forward, not backward.”
