The Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ebonyi State, Comrade Richard Nwafor, has urged former Vice President Atiku Abubakar not to think of joining the presidential race in 2027.

Nwafor, in a chat with journalists yesterday in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, suggested that the PDP should zone its presidential ticket to the southern part of Nigeria come the 2027 elections.

He recalled that Atiku ran in the 2023 presidential race under the PDP platform and failed.

The PDP chieftain also recalled that Atiku had run for the country’s presidential elections before the last election and even picked Peter Obi, who was the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, as his running mate but lost decisively.

He wondered why Atiku, in recent times, was rumoured to be nursing ambition for the 2027 presidential election.

He noted that several efforts were made in 2023 by the PDP faithful, especially those from the southern part of the country, to convince Atiku to allow the southern members of the party to pick up the presidential ticket, stressing that the idea would have strengthened the spirit of equity, fairness, and social justice in the party.

Nwafor said, “Since the dinner in Yola, Adamawa State, I decided to keep mute and watch as it unfolds.

“However, let it be very clear to those concerned that His Excellency Atiku Abubakar, a man I respect so much, should bury the idea of a 2027 presidential ambition and support a southerner instead of romancing Obi when the two of them couldn’t reach an agreement on or before the 2023 election.

“This opinion is personal and doesn’t represent the generality of my office.

“Those close to His Excellency should relate my message to him because the 2027 presidential ticket needs to be zoned to the southern part of Nigeria despite all odds.

“We need fresh people to mount the podium of leadership in our great Party (PDP).”

DAILY POST