2027: PDP still has capacity to win presidential election -Presidential Aspirant

By Emmanuel Oloniruha

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ptesidential Aspirant, Prof. Sandy Onor, says the party still has capacity to win 2027 presidential election, without a governor.

Omor made the assertion while speaking with newsmen in Abuja on Thursday after he was screened by the party’s presidential screening committee.

Addressing the exit of some governors from the party, Omor said that the governors defection to other political parties might be a blessing in disguise, claiming some of the governors were a problem to the party’s progress.

“I’m not bothered at all about whether we have governors in PDP presently or we do not have. Some of these governors were even a problem to us. It’s good that they left.

“So I believe that our campaign will be centered on the grassroots. We believe that the people of this country yearn for a change and we reflect that change.

“We understand where they are. We know what they are going through. We are going to speak their language and they will understand us.

“I believe that overwhelmingly they will vote for us across this country. The governors are voting for us,” he said.

Onor pledged to run a grassroots-centred campaign, insisting that the PDP vehicle is solid enough to win election in Nigeria.

He also said that his extensive experience across all three tiers of government makes him the most qualified candidate to lead Nigeria.

Onor, a former Senator for Cross River Central noted that his career trajectory—spanning local, state, and federal levels—gives him a “holistic understanding” of the country’s governance challenges.

He said that his previous experiences in both the executive and legislative arms of government, provided him with a vantage point to correct systemic limitations.

On the performance of President Bola Tinunu, Onor said there were areas the incumbent did well including the removal of fuel subsidy.

“I’m not one of those who condemn everything just because they are in the opposition. That is not intellectually right.

“The president had the courage to remove the subsidy, which was a bastion of corruption. Releasing those funds is an achievement,” he said

He, however, said that the problem was that the people at the grassroots had not enjoyed the dividends.

Onor promised that his leadership would prioritise accountability so that Nigerians feel the positive impact of such reforms.

On the issue of national security, Onor linked the current instability to grassroots poverty and the ambush of local government funds by state governors.

He praised the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on local government autonomy but lamented that many states still bypass the directive.

“If you fund local governments well, they will activate their security institutions. Traditional rulers and vigilantes will be properly funded. Before militants and marauders incubate, they would be taken out,” he said.

He pledged to address youth unemployment through meaningful engagement, asserting that properly funded local councils are the key to securing “ungoverned spaces” across the federation.

Also speaking with newsmen, an Oyo Governorship Aspirant, Hazeem Gbolaranmi, described Gov. Seyi Makinde’s ambition for the president as inordinate.

He questioned the experience that Makinde had gather to aspire for the highest office in the country, saying presidential election is not just about having found.

Gbolaranmi who rated Makinde’s performance on government as low, also critised him for dumping the party for his political gains after the party gave him its platform to actualise his political ambition.

He said while Makinde tried in the areas of infrastructure development, he would consolidate in the areas of education, security, health and grassroots development in the state.

Another governorship Aspirant for Enugu State Chief Samson Nnamani, said he was in the race to bring real development to the people of the state.

Nnamani said all the accolades on the incumbent performance including smart schools project were media hype without evidence on ground.(NAN)