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•Insists no congress took place in Cross River

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The leadership of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said former Minister of Information, Professor Jerry Gana, did not have the authority of the party to disclose that former President Goodluck Jonathan would become its presidential candidate in the 2027 general election.

PDP said it did not lack presidential materials for the next general election, as there were competent and performing governors from the south that could easily become its presidential candidate, if they so desired.

The party further dismissed the state congress election that took place at the weekend in Calabar, Cross River State. It stated that the organisers of the congress had no authority of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to conduct the election.

Gana had at the weekend said Nigerians, having seen the disparity in their lives after eight years of former President Muhammadu Buhari and two years under incumbent President Bola Tinubu, now knew better and wanted Jonathan to return.

Gana spoke on Saturday in Minna after the election of new officials by the Niger State chapter of PDP. He also confirmed that Jonathan would contest the 2027 presidential election on the platform of PDP.

But addressing newsmen yesterday in Abuja, National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, said, “Professor Jerry Gana doesn’t speak for the PDP. I don’t also speak for Professor Jerry Gana.

‘’I don’t speak for Professor Jerry Gana. People can express their opinion. But I will emphasise this. In this party, as we are today, President Jonathan is a member, he has not said he’s not a member.

‘’But I can tell you, today, this party has eminently qualified Nigerians, particularly at the governors’ level, who have done exceedingly well, that Nigeria can tap on that and say, step up the place and do the right thing, because their performances in their states show their capacity, which is actually the DNA of the PDP.

‘’So, I don’t speak for President Jonathan. I don’t speak for Jerry Gana, with all due respect. But our party is focused on our convention and when we get to that bridge, we’ll cross it. Those should be semantics.”

On Saturday’s congress in Calabar, Ologunagba said, “Clearly, there’s no State Congress held in Cross River State for the PDP, for the State Executive Committee of the party.

“You know we’re going to the season of carnivals now, in Cross River State, Calabar. If people were there, according to you, because I can’t recognise that, these people just went there for the pre-carnival for Christmas and it’s okay.

“Calabar is a friendly place for people who want to enjoy life. I think they’re there for that purpose. I’m not marketing Calabar, but I know people go there to have some good time, drink, and take brandy and all that.

“This party has a process. That you imagine that you can sit down and get some people together and have drinks, and call it a congress, that’s hallucination.”

Ologunagba added, “There is a process you to have a Congress, the NWC will constitute an electoral panel. We didn’t constitute that. So, that’s why I say that it is a hallucination. It’s an excitement, a carnival.

“What happened, if it did happen, which I’m not aware of, which the party isn’t aware of, it might be a pre-carnival for Christmas. We’re almost in October, so we can get in the mood.

“For emphasis, there was none. There was no Congress in Cross River state for the PDP, and because it has been postponed, along with that of Plateau and Kebbi States.”

On whether the organisers of the congress would be sanctioned, Ologunagba said, ‘’You are pre-empting this party. You’d recall here we said there will be reprimand. Can you just hold on? This party will do that which is necessary to ensure that there’s discipline and there’s responsibility here.”