Former Jigawa State Governor and Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has expressed willingness to support Mr. Peter Obi in the 2027 Presidential election should he emerge as the standard bearer of the coalition.
This is just as the Middle Belt Forum said may have no choice than stick with Peter Obi noting that the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election has a track record of keeping to promise.
Lamido, who was responding to a question as to whether he would support Obi, who has offered to spend a single term of four- years if he wins the 2027 presidential election, said, “If the coalition produces Peter Obi or anyone else committed to rescuing Nigeria, I will support them. But I remain PDP. We should have outgrown tribal and regional sentiments.
Leadership should be about competence and vision, not geography. What has the North gained from producing the most presidents if the region remains underdeveloped? I’m open to any arrangement that can confront the APC and rescue Nigeria. I’ll support those who share that goal.”
The former governor explained that zoning between the North and South was a creation of the PDP designed to solve a specific problem which was the annulment of the June 12 election. According to him, “it was meant to be a healing mechanism, a temporary measure to restore trust. But now, it has become an albatross.”
On its part, The Middle Belt Forum, MBF, says since the North lacks options they might stick with Peter Obi and his promise to serve one term in office if elected President of the country in 2027, given his track record of keeping to promises. The National President of MBF, Dr Bitrus Pogu maintained that the North would have no choice but to support a candidate from the South that they could trust since any move to produce a candidate from the North might not fly. He said that they could support Peter Obi based on his promise or former President Goodluck Jonathan if he is allowed, and the fact that the law would permit him only one term.
Dr. Pogu said, “I want to say that a drowning person wouldn’t mind even holding onto a straw thinking that it will save him. So, in the situation which the North finds itself in, I do not think that their choices are many. Getting a Northerner to contest is a problem and they must have to trust somebody that has a track record of consistency which Peter Obi seems to have.
“But the issue now is, in spite of his pronouncement, in spite of the fact that they may extract a written agreement from him, will they faithfully carry out their support promises. That is the issue, because some of them could still say let us try our Atiku again or try one of those ones in the North, but they know that it is not going to sell, they know that very well. So they may still go for somebody in the South, either somebody who will promise them like Peter Obi or somebody like former President Jonathan if it is allowed, knowing that he cannot go beyond one term. So these are the options they have, because when people lack options, of course any option is a good option.”
A former Minister of Information and Communication, Ibrahim Nakande noted that, “For someone to say he will do only one term is political. Will the people from his zone agree with that? He has support everywhere, even in the north if you look at the record in the last election. There is no way he won’t have support, it depends on his proposed policies and programmes, and it is up to the greater Nigerian people to decide. I don’t think he is correct saying such a thing”.
