Jungudo Mohammed, the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Abdulrahman Mohammed, has said that former lawmaker representing Cross River Central in the Senate, Senator Sandy Onor, may emerge as the party’s presidential candidate in the 2027 general elections.

Mohammed, who appeared as a guest on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, confirmed that Onor has already picked the party’s nomination form.

He added that the former lawmaker would automatically become the PDP’s candidate if no other aspirant purchases the forms before the close of sales.

“Already, we have the original caterpillar, the orator of the 9th Senate, Distinguished Senator Sandy Onor, he had since picked our presidential nomination form,” Mohammed said on the programme.

“If at the end of the primaries he emerges, certainly he will be our presidential candidate. And if as it is today, by the close of the sales, nobody picks, automatically he will be our presidential candidate. He has the energy, the knowledge.”

Asked whether Onor could defeat incumbent President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election, Mohammed replied, “Why not? Very well.”

The PDP spokesperson maintained that the party still has a good chance of reclaiming power from the All Progressives Congress, despite its leader, Nyesom Wike, backing President Tinubu’s re-election.

Mohammed defended the FCT Minister’s support for the President, insisting that Wike’s actions do not amount to anti-party activity.

“He (Wike) is entitled to his own opinion. For us, he is exercising his constitutional right. He is an appointee of the President, he is not doing anything anti-party.

“It is his duty as well to see what he can do to promote the national unity and national interest of the country and he is doing so in exercise of his rights as a citizen of this country to support his boss who is the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. But for us in the Peoples Democratic Party, we are doing everything to make sure we defeat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.

Meanwhile, on Monday, the Board of Trustees of the PDP, led by Senator Adolphus Wabara, appointed a 13-member interim National Working Committee for the party.

Wabara said the move was in line with the PDP constitution, insisting that the Supreme Court judgment, which upheld the nullification of the Ibadan convention, created a leadership vacuum within the party.

The 13-member interim National Working Committee is led by former National Chairman Tanimu Turaki.

However, Mohammed argued that the Wabara-led group lacks the authority and legitimacy to convene a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.

He faulted the interpretation of the Supreme Court judgment suggesting a leadership vacuum in the PDP, describing it as a misinterpretation by the Wabara group.

He questioned the basis of their position, noting that the Certified True Copy of the judgment had yet to be released.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal filed by the Turaki-led National Working Committee, which was constituted at the Ibadan convention.

Delivering the majority judgment, Justice Stephen held that the national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15 and 16 last year, was conducted in defiance of an existing judgment of the Federal High Court delivered by Justice James Omotosho. (Channels)