Peter Obi would sweep northern votes if he returns to PDP – Jerry Gana

Founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Professor Jerry Gana, has said former Anambra State governor and Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, would win overwhelmingly in Nigeria’s northern states if he returns to contest under the PDP platform.

Speaking during an interview on Arise News’ Prime Time on Wednesday, Gana, a respected political figure and veteran of Nigeria’s democratic transition, said Obi’s popularity in the North remains strong and would translate into electoral victory if he were to rejoin the main opposition party.

“I’m a researcher, and I research opinions. In the northern states, Peter Obi under the PDP will defeat any candidate, because our people are very fair-minded,” Gana stated.

Obi had defected from the PDP in May 2022 to contest the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the Labour Party, finishing third behind Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Atiku Abubakar of the PDP.

Gana also used the opportunity to remind Nigerians of the PDP’s legacy as a mass-based political organisation with deep grassroots support.

“Many people have forgotten that the PDP was created as a grassroots organisation. In 1998, we were formed and by 1999, we were present in every polling unit. We won the presidency, the Senate, the House of Representatives, and most local governments,” he said.

He described the PDP as the political force that successfully ended military rule and restored democratic governance in 1999. “We were very delighted that we restored democracy to Nigeria and re-established civil rule. When we said ‘power to the people’, we meant it,” Gana added.

Commenting on recent internal party disputes and perceived disunity, Gana downplayed the scale of the conflicts. “This recent problem was really among a few elites here in Abuja. It didn’t even go beyond,” he noted.

Gana, who served as Minister of Information under President Olusegun Obasanjo from 1999 to 2003, also hinted at a continued commitment to power rotation within the PDP.

“In 2031, it will be the turn of the North. Our people are very fair, and we are building a nation,” he said, reinforcing the idea that the PDP remains committed to equity and national cohesion through its zoning arrangement.

The comments are likely to reignite speculation about Peter Obi’s future political moves as Nigeria heads towards the 2027 general elections and beyond.