The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has formally affirmed Senator Sandy Onor as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
At the party’s national convention in Abuja, delegates from the 36 states and the FCT endorsed the consensus candidate, signalling what party leaders described as a renewed commitment to unity and national rebuilding ahead of the polls.
In his acceptance speech, Onor said the party reclaimed its identity as a united and visionary platform ready to govern.
“Today, we have a leadership that is united, purposeful and visionary. Today, we have reclaimed our party, the legacy party, the Peoples Democratic Party,” he declared.
The PDP candidate promised to run on a pan-Nigerian platform anchored on energy, courage, competence and intellectual depth, assuring Nigerians that a PDP government under his leadership would prioritise competence, accountability and restoration of public confidence in governance.
Speaking with journalists shortly after the event, Onor said his administration, if elected, would focus heavily on rural development and grassroots empowerment, stressing that rural Nigeria had suffered years of neglect.
“We are in this race to demonstrate that there is still a lot to do for Nigerians. I believe strongly that rural Nigeria, where the majority of our people live, has been neglected by successive administrations,” he said.
READ ALSO: PDP Declares Pantami Governorship Candidate in Gombe
According to him, attention would be given to ordinary Nigerians, including teachers, transport workers, unemployed youths and vulnerable groups who are often exposed to recruitment by criminal elements due to poverty and hardship.
He maintained that tackling poverty at the grassroots level would significantly reduce insecurity across the country.
“Insecurity is fundamentally a product of rural poverty. A lot of young men and women who leave school without employment become vulnerable to recruitment into banditry and terrorism,” Onor stated.
The former senator also pledged to strengthen local government administration by ensuring full implementation of local government autonomy, noting that properly funded councils would help create jobs, support vigilante groups and empower traditional institutions to secure communities.
“I will insist that no governor ambush local government funds. If local governments are properly funded, young people will be meaningfully engaged and ungoverned spaces that nurture insecurity will disappear,” he added.
Onor further expressed confidence in his preparedness for the 2027 presidential race, citing his experience across different levels of government.
“I have served as local government chairman, commissioner and senator of the Federal Republic. “I understand governance at all levels, and I am prepared to lead Nigeria with the fear of God and the love of this country,” he said.
He also dismissed claims of division within the PDP, insisting that there is only one legally recognised party structure, while noting that officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, were present at party activities.
Chairman of the Presidential Primary Election Committee, Dr Samuel Ortom, said the party worked with stakeholders across the states to arrive at a consensus candidate ahead of the 2027 election.
PDP National Chairman, Mohammed Abdulrahman, thanked INEC officials for supervising the convention and earlier primary elections conducted across the country.
He said the PDP remained united behind one presidential aspirant and expressed confidence that the party would reclaim power in 2027.
The highpoint of the convention was the presentation of the certificate of return and party flag to Senator Sandy Onor as the PDP presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
