•Jonathan
In what appears to be a major political statement ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Northern Support Group has reaffirmed its total support for the leadership of the party’s Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Iliya Umar Damagum, and declared full backing for the return of former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan as the party’s presidential candidate.
The declaration was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the group’s 8th Northern Support Group Meeting held in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, between yesterday, Wednesday, October 8 and today, Thursday, October 9, 2025.
The meeting brought together representatives and leaders from all northern states, united by a common vision to strengthen and reposition the PDP for victory in 2027, reports Vanguard.
The communiqué, signed by Hon. Yusuf Abubakar, Northern Coordinator, and Hon. Adamu Ahmed Narayi, North-West Zonal Secretary, expressed the group’s confidence in the current leadership of the party and commended Ambassador Damagum’s ongoing reconciliation drive aimed at restoring unity, discipline, and cohesion within the PDP.
The group said it remains optimistic that the PDP is not beyond redemption and that with genuine commitment and collective sacrifice, the party will reclaim power at the national level and in other states currently under the APC.
It emphasised that the time had come for all loyal members of the PDP to rally behind former President Goodluck Jonathan, whom it described as a symbol of peace, unity, and progress. It further urged stakeholders to begin nationwide mobilisation and strategic engagement to ensure his emergence and success in 2027.
The communiqué stated that there is no going back on Goodluck Jonathan as the candidate to redeem the party’s image in 2027, describing him as one of Nigeria’s most patriotic leaders who sacrificed personal ambition for national peace by handing over power peacefully after the 2015 elections.
While dismissing concerns over Jonathan’s eligibility to contest again, the group noted that the issue had long been settled and that opposition elements could no longer use it as a political distraction.
However, the communiqué expressed deep concern over the conduct of certain party leaders and elders, whom it accused of working against the PDP’s unity for selfish or external interests. It specifically pointed fingers at some members of the National Working Committee (NWC) allegedly collaborating with the ruling APC-led government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
It lamented that some elements within the NWC and among party elders openly undermine reconciliation efforts while pretending to build the PDP, describing such double loyalty as unacceptable and calling for firm action.
The group particularly condemned the alleged divisive actions of Minister Nyesom Wike, accusing him of deliberately sowing discord within the PDP while serving in the APC government.
It said Wike’s continued recruitment of party members to serve his personal agenda was detrimental to the unity and survival of the PDP and must be addressed decisively.
The PDP Northern Support Group urged Ambassador Damagum to enforce strict disciplinary measures against any stakeholder or member whose activities weaken the party’s structure or image, stressing that party supremacy must be upheld above individual interests.
The communiqué reiterated that the PDP retains strong grassroots support across the North and that now is the time to rebuild structures, restore lost glory, and take bold steps to ensure unity, discipline, and progress.
The group concluded by pledging unflinching loyalty to the PDP’s collective leadership and reaffirming its commitment to building a cohesive, united, and formidable platform capable of reclaiming power in 2027.
