The Gbenga Hashim Solidarity Movement (GHSM) has insisted that former President Goodluck Jonathan will not be handed an automatic presidential ticket by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2027 general election. The group’s National Coordinator, Abdulrazaq Hamzat, made the declaration while reacting to comments credited to Prof. Jerry Gana suggesting Jonathan’s possible return to contest on the PDP platform.
Hamzat stressed that the party’s flagbearer can only emerge through an open and transparent primary in accordance with the Electoral Act 2022, and not through the endorsement of a few influential stakeholders. “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,” he said in a statement.
The GHSM leader argued that Nigerians are yearning for genuine progress rather than a return to what he described as an “old order.” According to him, Jonathan’s presidency was not without blemishes, citing what he called the mismanagement of Nigeria’s diversity, which rekindled ethnic tensions and religious divides. He further faulted Jonathan’s foreign policy, particularly Nigeria’s decision in 2011 to support NATO’s intervention in Libya against the African Union’s position. Hamzat described the move as a “strategic blunder” that destabilized the Sahel region and worsened insecurity across West Africa.
On domestic governance, Hamzat maintained that Jonathan still has questions to answer regarding corruption allegations, especially the controversial Dasukigate arms procurement scandal. While acknowledging Jonathan’s right to recontest, he stressed that the PDP remains a democratic platform where no aspirant should expect automatic endorsement, regardless of past positions held.
“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,” Hamzat declared. He concluded that Nigerians deserve fresh leadership and a new vision to address current challenges, insisting that “the only way forward is forward, not backward.”
