The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has affirmed a former member of the National Assembly, Sandy Onor, as its consensus presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
Chairman of the 2026 PDP Presidential Primary Election Committee, Samuel Ortom, announced the outcome of the party’s primary at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday.
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Mr Ortom, a former governor of Benue State, said that Mr Onor, the party’s sole aspirant, emerged through a consensus arrangement.
“We have worked day and night with the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to ensure that we arrive at a consensus,” he said.
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On his part, the PDP National Chairman, Abdullahi Mohammed, noted that the party had only one aspirant and expressed confidence that it would make a significant impact in the 2027 general election.
In his acceptance speech, Mr Onor promised to run the presidential race with the courage and seriousness it deserved.
“I take this responsibility very seriously. I shall fly the PDP flag with energy, with courage, with competence and with intellectual depth. I shall do it with a pan-Nigerian disposition in all that I do.
“Citizens of this country will be proud that we have a PDP that is ready to do well. If we were great yesterday, we are going to be exponentially greater tomorrow.
“Let me assure you that I’ll do justice. I will also fear God in all the things that I’m going to be doing with you.
“Let me assure you that we are here for serious business. We have listened to the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians, and we are ready to bring them to pass,” he said.
Mr Onor, who stated that he knew the African Democratic Congress (ADC) would not stand the test of time, described the PDP as the only formidable opposition to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.
“If you are looking for any party with the capacity to contend with the ruling APC, that party is PDP,” he said.
The presidential candidate identified a lack of good leadership as the major problem bedeviling the country and pledged to transform Nigeria into a great nation if elected.
He said that with the right leadership, there was nothing Nigeria could not achieve.
“Let me assure us that Nigeria is a very blessed country, blessed in human and material resources.
“Properly managed, as I hope to do, with courage, integrity and probity, we shall make Nigeria that country that people saw at independence as the giant of Africa,” he said.
Mr Onor also pledged to run an issue-based, grassroots-driven campaign and to tackle insecurity and poverty, especially at the grassroots, if elected president.
“The stark realities must be placed in perspective, and the poverty of this country must be cured. We cannot be poor in the midst of so much.
“I think through selfless leadership, through genuine leadership, through the enthronement of discipline and accountability, we can arrest this poverty monster in our country.
“We can make our people happy again. We must stop taking them for granted; they have suffered for too long.
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“I believe that I have the capacity to do so because I have the experience across the entire trajectory of our political hierarchy,” Mr Onor said.
The PDP National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, described the presidential candidate as the best for the 2027 presidential election.
The News Agency of Nigeria NAN reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) delegation that monitored the event included National Commissioners, Abdullahi Zuru, Rhoda Gumus and Kunle Ajayi.
On 19 May, the Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the PDP adopted former President Goodluck Jonathan as its sole candidate for the 2027 election.
“The party had already given our presidential aspirant the waiver. Like I said in the beginning, he was deputy governor, became governor, became vice president, became president, so we didn’t see anything that needed screening, and therefore the party had given him a waiver. In other words, he had been declared and cleared as the candidate of the PDP for the presidential election, and that is President Jonathan,” the faction said.
Mr Jonathan has yet to respond to his adoption.
