…Says C’River congress mere carnival

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said the statement credited to former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, regarding the party fielding former President Goodluck Jonathan as a candidate in 2027, was his personal opinion.

Gana, the pioneer PDP National Secretary, was quoted to have said in Minner, Niger State, that PDP will field Jonathan as its candidate in 2027.

But PDP National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba, at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, said the party has “eminently qualified” members who can fly its flag in the presidential election.

Ologunagba, who stated that Jonathan is still a member of the PDP, added that the party has “an array of qualified people” who can contest on the party’s platform.

“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 will cross it,” Ologunagba stated.

He said PDP National Working Committee (NWC) had postponed its state congresses in Cross River, Plateau and Kebbi States, and described the purported congress in Cross River State as a mere carnival.

“Calabar is a friendly place for people who want to enjoy life. I think they are 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,” Ologunagba stated.

He said the party has a process, adding that the NWC had duly postponed congress in the three states and communicated the same to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as well as published the same in the media.

“We didn’t only inform INEC, we went and published it. So it is a notice to the whole world,” he added.

Ologunagba said there will be reprimand on the people who conducted the purported congress, and assured that PDP “will do that which is necessary to ensure that there is discipline and there is responsibility here.

“For anybody who has brought this party into disrepute, we know what to do. There is a constitution.

“We all subscribed to be members, and we swore to obey the constitution. We manage a party; we manage a process. People should be warned going forward. It is no longer business as usual. Enough is enough.”