• Arewa Forum backs Jonathan’s return, dismisses Obi’s one-term pledge
• PDP chieftain welcomes Jonathan, Atiku, Obi, seeks open presidential primary

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has taken a swipe at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over reported efforts to woo Peter Obi, describing the development as a clear sign of the party’s political decline.

National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, said it was “laughable” that the PDP, once dominant in Nigerian politics, was now “begging for candidates all over the place,” a situation he claimed reflected the former ruling party’s loss of relevance.

“If the PDP is truly wooing Peter Obi, that tells you how low the party has degenerated,” Abdullahi said.

“This is the same party that many Nigerians were once desperate to get its ticket. Now they are begging for candidates. Why would we be threatened by that?”

Obi, who was the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, is also a key member of the ADC-led opposition coalition. His name has resurfaced in political circles following remarks by prominent PDP figures urging him to return to the party.

Among those making the overtures are former Information Minister, Prof Jerry Gana, and Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, who recently described Obi as the de facto leader of the opposition.

But Abdullahi dismissed the outreach, stating that Obi remains a part of the coalition and is fully aware of what he called the PDP’s “destructive internal dynamics.”

“All I know is that Peter Obi is still part of the coalition. He has not told us that he has left or is leaving,” Abdullahi said.

“But Peter Obi knows better. I have said it repeatedly: he understands the PDP as well as everyone else. Can anybody take the risk with PDP now? Knowing the internal dynamics within the PDP that have led us down this path of destruction?”

He added that the ADC was not concerned about the speculated moves and remained focused on building a viable political alternative.

“So we are not bothered,” he said. “We are focused on what we are doing. Like I told you, Peter has not told us he’s leaving the coalition.”

RELATEDLY, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has said former President Goodluck Jonathan’s potential candidacy appears increasingly attractive, particularly in light of political and economic developments since 2015.

Prof. Tukur Muhammad-Baba, Publicity Secretary of the ACF, made the remarks during an interview on Arise TV yesterday, where he also dismissed the one-term pledge reportedly made by former Anambra State governor, Mr Peter Obi.

Describing Obi’s pledge as a mere political tactic, Muhammad-Baba said: “The one-term issue is simply political talk, a clear act of desperation. On the surface, Goodluck Jonathan appears attractive.

“Over time, and especially since 2015, Jonathan has accumulated a lot of positives. He gave up when he thought he had lost the election, and has been living a quiet life. He has also gained several international recognitions. Developments since 2015 seem to favour him. However, it’s still a long way till 2027, and he will need to do a lot to sell himself.”

There has been growing speculation over whether the former president will contest the 2027 election and under which platform, though many suggest he may return under the banner of the Peoples Democratic Party to challenge incumbent President Bola Tinubu.

Speaking further on the possibility, Muhammad-Baba said: “But, you know, Goodluck Jonathan will be a candidate. But of course, he needs to do a lot more to sell himself, to offer himself as an alternative, to show that he’s now different from the Goodluck Jonathan we knew as a person. Circumstances have turned out that some of the criticisms against him were simply political, and so on.

“Well, anybody could be a candidate. But I think, given the circumstances right now in the country, the difficulties people are facing, the challenging economic conditions, it will take a lot more for a politician, whether they are from the South, the North or from the moon, to convince themselves, to convince the electorate, that they are different, or that they offer a new alternative.”

PDP chieftain welcomes Jonathan, Atiku, Obi
MEANWHILE, a former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has called for an open and competitive presidential primary within the party.

In a statement issued yesterday in Kaduna by his media aide, Hassan Mahmoud, Olawepo-Hashim threw his weight behind the speculated return of former President Goodluck Jonathan, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi to the PDP presidential race.

Describing their potential re-entry as a welcome development, he declared: “The more, the merrier.”

According to him, far from creating division or tension, a robust and competitive primary would restore the PDP’s reputation as the “true party of democracy in Nigeria.”

“The PDP was never meant to be an exclusive club. From day one, it was designed to be a national platform, a big umbrella for all shades of opinion, ideology, and aspiration,” he said.

Reflecting on the party’s formation in 1998, Olawepo-Hashim recalled serving as secretary of the publicity subcommittee chaired by the late Dr Chuba Okadigbo, where a journalist first proposed the now-iconic umbrella symbol.

He praised the spirit of unity and democratic competition that defined the PDP’s early days, citing the contributions of political heavyweights such as Dr Alex Ekwueme, Chief Solomon Lar, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi, Mallam Adamu Ciroma, Chief Sunday Awoniyi, Chief Melford Okilo, Prof Jibril Aminu and Dr Iyorchia Ayu.

“We had giants of Nigeria’s political class under one roof… men who could have been good presidents. Yet, some dropped their ambition as things developed, and others submitted themselves to a fair contest in Jos in 1999, which attracted aspirants from North and South; a process which Obasanjo eventually won,” he said.

He argued that the PDP’s strength during its formative years came not from “backdoor consensus or gatekeeping politics” but from a firm commitment to internal democracy. He also commended the inclusive leadership style of the PDP’s interim chairman at the time, Chief Solomon Lar, for ensuring that all stakeholders were given a chance to participate.

“Those who feared competition quietly exited the founding process. But we pressed on, and Nigeria benefited,” he noted.

Olawepo-Hashim stressed that the PDP must return to its founding ethos if it intends to regain national relevance and offer Nigerians a credible alternative in 2027.

While the political futures of Jonathan, Atiku and Obi remain a matter of speculation, he maintained that any Nigerian with a vision and capacity should be welcomed into the race.

“If Jonathan, Atiku, Obi and others wish to contest, they should be welcomed. Let the best ideas and visions emerge through fair competition. That is how to build a party of the future,” he added.

Some political analysts see his remarks as a signal of broadening space within the PDP and a possible push toward what could become one of the most consequential presidential primaries in recent memory, a contest of political titans under one umbrella.

They also say his comments could help reframe internal party discussions around inclusiveness, competition, and merit.