Shehu Sani to Jonathan: PDP no longer what it used to be

By Paul Dada

A former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has cautioned former President Goodluck Jonathan against a decision to make return bid for the presidency in 2027.

Sani who gave the advice during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, where he addressed rising speculations over Jonathan’s potential comeback, said that the political terrain has significantly shifted since his time in office

“Each time there is an election, Jonathan’s name resurfaces. While it’s his right to contest, I advise him not to. The PDP he once knew no longer exists in that form,” Sani said.

He said the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)—the platform on which Jonathan won the presidency in 2011—is now fragmented, with key figures aligning with other interests. “The PDP in the South-West is endorsing the president. Some of its members are part of the new coalition. He shouldn’t waste his time,” he stated

Sani also questioned the credibility and ideological foundation of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition, describing its members as politically indistinct from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“We are in a democracy, and it’s within our rights to have an opposition. But if the only goal is to unseat President Tinubu without offering an alternative vision, then there is no real agenda,” he said.

He said the policies and principles of the coalition mirror those of the Tinubu administration, citing continuity in liberal economic reforms such as subsidy removal and currency devaluation.

“There’s no ideological difference. It’s not a battle between opposing philosophies. Their track records and campaign messages show alignment with the status quo,” Sani said.