The Gbenga Hashim Solidarity Movement (GHSM) has dismissed suggestions that former President Goodluck Jonathan could secure an automatic presidential ticket under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2027 elections.
The clarification comes in response to remarks by PDP chieftain, Professor Jerry Gana, who recently extended an olive branch to Jonathan, urging him to contest on the party’s platform.
In a statement, GHSM National Coordinator, Abdulrazaq Hamzat, stressed that the PDP flagbearer would only emerge through an open and transparent primary process in line with the Electoral Act 2022.
“With due respect, Professor Jerry Gana is entitled to his enthusiasm about the return of former President Jonathan. However, only PDP delegates to the national convention can pick the party’s flagbearer, and ultimately, God Almighty will determine the outcome—not a few party stalwarts,” Hamzat said.
He argued that Nigerians are yearning for progress, not a return to the past, warning that Jonathan represents an “old order” many citizens are ready to consign to history.
“The Jonathan era cannot be painted as a perfect time. It was a period when the diversity of our nation began to be deeply mismanaged, rekindling ethnic tensions and religious bigotry—a legacy that has unfortunately worsened under subsequent governments,” he added.
Hamzat also faulted Jonathan’s foreign policy record, particularly Nigeria’s 2011 decision to break ranks with the African Union and support NATO’s intervention in Libya.
He described the move as a “strategic blunder” that destabilized the Sahel and worsened insecurity in Nigeria, Mali, Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso, and other West African countries.
On domestic governance, the GHSM leader maintained that Jonathan still has questions to answer regarding corruption allegations, including the infamous Dasukigate arms procurement scandal.
He, however, emphasized that the PDP remains a democratic platform where no aspirant, including former presidents, should expect automatic endorsement.
“If President Jonathan desires a return to Aso Rock, he must be ready to square up with nationally unifying aspirants such as Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim in an open and transparent primary,” Hamzat declared.
He concluded that Nigerians deserve fresh leadership and a new vision to address the country’s challenges, insisting that “the only way forward is forward, not backward.”
