2027 : Real reason PDP must pick Christian from South as presidential candidate – Gov Mohammed

Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed,  has urged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to field a Christian from the South as its presidential candidate for the 2027 election, saying the move would help the party avoid what he described as the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) “mistake” in 2023.

Speaking on Politics Today on Channels Television, Mohammed stressed that the PDP had not settled on any particular aspirant but insisted the party should consider religious and regional balance when selecting its flagbearer.

“What I want to say is we have not absolutely chosen or narrowed down on any person. Everybody should know that PDP is open.

“It’s open in a manner that it is for the southerners to bring somebody, and I said with all humility, we don’t want to make the mistake of the APC,” he said.

The governor argued that a southern Christian presidential candidate, paired with a northern Muslim running mate, would reflect Nigeria’s diversity.

“We need a Christian from the South to emerge as a presidential candidate, so that he will lead the majority of Christian southerners to come and pick the majority Muslim vice president in the North, not to put ourselves in a cul de sac the way the APC did in 2023… where they picked a minority from the South… which brought the issue of the Muslim-Muslim [ticket]… because we have not really reached a stage where we don’t take consideration of all these factors,” he added.

Mohammed also dismissed reports of a plan to field Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde as the PDP presidential candidate with him as running mate.

“No, that’s not what we are planning… The president must be given the opportunity to choose his vice. I am not withdrawing because I want to prepare myself for the vice presidency.

“Of course, if it is within the sense of judgment of our party leaders and the presidential candidate to choose me, I’m ready, but certainly if I’m not given… I’m ready to give whoever the party or the presidential candidate would emerge from the South to bring somebody if he is better than me,” Mohammed said.

The PDP has already zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to the South.