A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party backed by the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has vowed to present a Presidential candidate to challenge the incumbent President, Bola Tinubu during the 2027 general elections.
This is just as the FCT Minister charged the newly inaugurated members of the National Working Committee of the party to intensify efforts and bring back members that have defected to other political parties.
Weekend Trust reports that the PDP national leader had been consistent in his support for the President, adding that even as a member of the party, he will work for the re-election of Tinubu as President for a second term.
He had recently revealed during a television interview that the party does not have the financial muscle to finance a Presidential campaign – a development many said might just be a subtle move not to put up a candidate against Tinubu.
But in an exclusive interview with Weekend Trust, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, said the reports in some quarters that they are not going to present a presidential candidate is not true.
He further said that the party will hold its National Executive Committee meeting on Monday where issues concerning zoning and the amount for the forms will be discussed and settled.
“We are going to have a presidential candidate. Time will take care of all this propaganda. The NEC will decide the zoning formula of the party. What is most important for the PDP is to win the election. It’s to take over power from APC,” he said.
Asked whether the party will go against the position of its national leader who had declared his support for President Tinubu, he replied by asking rhetorically whether the national leader is the national chairman.
“Is the national leader the chairman of the PDP? Why not? What are political parties meant for? That is his position as a Nigerian.
“As a minister in the APC government and a minister serving the president. You want him to speak against his master? He cannot speak against the President. He has to support his boss. But as a party, you are in the PDP office now.
“Did you see anywhere where you have the office of the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike here? The party is different from the honorable minister of the FCT.
“Irrespective of his role, his stabilizing role and other assistance, his guidance, his wisdom, that is not to say he will come and tele-guide what happens in the party.
“So, there is a great distinction between what the minister says or does as a citizen of this country and as an appointee of the president on one hand and then what the National Working Committee of the party does on the other hand. So, for us as a political party, we will field a presidential candidate.”
