Professor Jerry Gana, a founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has asserted that former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi would defeat any contender in Nigeria’s northern states, if he returns to contest under the PDP platform.
Speaking on Prime Time, an Arise TV programme aired Wednesday, Gana said,
“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.”
Obi left the PDP in May 2022 to contest the 2023 presidential election under the Labour Party.
Reflecting on the PDP’s legacy, Gana emphasized the party’s grassroots foundation and its pivotal role in restoring democratic governance after years of military rule.
“Many people have forgotten that the PDP was created as a grassroots organisation. In 1998, we were formed and by the 1999 elections, we were in every polling unit. We won the presidency, the Senate, and the House. We were totally in control, and that’s why we were delighted to have restored democracy and re-established civil rule.”
He added that the party’s slogan, “Power to the People,” was not just rhetoric but a reflection of its founding principles.
Addressing recent internal conflicts within the PDP, Gana downplayed their significance, describing them as isolated disputes among a few elites in Abuja.
Gana, who served as Minister of Information and Cooperation from 1999 to 2003 under President Olusegun Obasanjo, also hinted at future zoning arrangements within the party.
“In 2031, it will be the turn of the North. Our people are very fair, and we are building a nation.”
, has asserted that former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi would defeat any contender in Nigeria’s northern states, if he returns to contest under the PDP platform.){kind=link}