As political calculations for 2027 gather momentum, elder statesman and PDP founding member, Prof. Jerry Gana, has once again stirred debate with his consistent message to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar: support Peter Obi for President.
According to Gana, defeating the APC and rescuing Nigeria may require personal sacrifice from opposition leaders. In his view, the opposition’s strongest path to victory is unity behind a single candidate—and he believes Peter Obi should be that candidate.
Speaking candidly, Gana said:
“If I were Atiku, I would tell Obi: Go for the Presidency. I will fully support you for the sake of Nigerians.”
This is not a new position for the respected politician. He made similar remarks on AIT’s Focus Nigeria in 2025 and repeated them recently on Arise TV, arguing that Atiku had an opportunity in 2023 to back Obi, who had previously served as his running mate in 2019.
Gana even described the PDP’s handling of the 2023 election as one of the party’s major mistakes. He maintains that if Peter Obi returns to the PDP, he would be difficult to defeat in 2027, insisting that many Northern voters would support him based on competence and fairness rather than regional considerations.
Interestingly, recent events seem to be moving in the direction Gana has long advocated. At an opposition summit in Ibadan, key political figures including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Rotimi Amaechi, and Rauf Aregbesola reportedly supported the idea of presenting a single opposition candidate against President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
