By Edwin Philip, Lafia

Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Nasarawa State, Dr Joel Daniel Gimba, said the party in the state is much stronger, united, and focused after the Supreme Court Judgment that settled the leadership challenge in the party, as aspirants to various positions ahead of all 2027 general elections are purchasing forms, submitting, and presenting themselves for screening in their numbers in the state.

The chairman made this known shortly after the screening of aspirants for the National and State Assembly positions at the State party secretariat in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital.

He stated that PDP is the strongest alternative party to the ruling party in Nasarawa State, as they are more united and ready to win in all positions they will be vying for.

He said, “We are well-harmonised, always ready whenever a time like this approaches. We are highly coordinated, well-mobilised, and well-prepared to reclaim our mandate as well. PDP always won its election in Nasarawa State, and we are 1,001 per cent sure.”

Speaking of Dr David Emmanuel Umbugadu, the former gubernatorial candidate of the party in 2019 and 2023 who had recently submitted his expression of interest and nomination forms at the secretariat in Abuja to contest for the governorship seat in the 2027 general election, the chairman said he has all it takes to win the ruling party’s candidate.

“One of our strongest contenders, whose impact we fully know. We may likely call him “the man that controlled the political atmosphere of Nasarawa State. “No doubt about it. Yesterday, he successfully submitted his nomination form at the headquarters. That is to tell you that in 2027, come rain or come shine, PDP is definitely going to make a lot of impact in this next coming election,” he added.

​The party chairman denied that the PDP is factionalised as to who sells forms to aspirants. He said, “I so much believe the journalists are people that are intellectual people. You read more than so many; you make a lot of research. The CTC is there; at least you can go and get a copy and read it for yourself. But as far as I have said it and I keep repeating it: PDP is united.”

“If I obtain my form today from a group that is not on the INEC portal, you as a journalist know the end of it. But as it stands in Nasarawa State, like I said, there is not a faction. We stand united, and we are highly coordinated and prepared for the 2027 election,” he affirmed.

Speaking shortly after the two-day screening of the state and national assembly aspirants, the chairman of the screening committee, Mr Salami Baba, said over 30 aspirants who submitted themselves for the exercise came with their complete records and necessary documents.

He expressed optimism that PDP will emerge victorious in Nasarawa State overall: “PDP is an opposition party. With the development we have seen, we have the hope that PDP will win this election because most people that have come have given us the hope and assurance that by the grace of God, PDP will come back to power,” he said.

He, however, said that the committee has no power to disqualify any aspirants, as their assignment is to forward the names of aspirants with any issue to the party office, where they will decide to set another committee that will either disqualify such a person or do otherwise.