Former governor mentions composition with Roberto Cláudio, Captain Wagner and allies for the October election; must compete for state government
(PSDB) stated on Friday (16 January 2026), during an interview with journalists at the (Legislative Assembly of Ceará), that the opposition is working on assembling a unified ticket for the October election. The former governor said that the conversations involve different leaders and aim to structure a majority candidacy capable of bringing together the main names from the opposition camp in the State, but without yet confirming which position he will run for.
According to Ciro, the group is discussing a composition that brings together different leaders from the opposition camp, with a focus on the majority election. He mentioned the possibility of joining the ticket alongside the former mayor of Fortaleza (União Brasil) and the federal deputy (União Brasil), as well as other allies.
Ciro has already made several criticisms of Captain Wagner in the past. However, he apologized during the . The former governor also cited the need to expand conversations for the Senate vacancy.
“This movement of ours is for change. Let’s bring together everyone from Ceará in good faith and if it is up to me to take on the task of leading this, for the position of governor, but until then, until we decide that this responsibility is mine, our collective is here. You should see a ticket with me, with Captain Wagner, with Roberto Cláudio, to make up the majority tickets. We have the other vacancy for senator, to make up with other allies, because what matters to us is not politicking, it is facing violence with impunity who took over politics”he declared.
In a possible dispute for the government of Ceará, Ciro Gomes leads the polls. He has 44% of voting intentions, against 34% for the current governor, (PT). The senator (Novo – CE) appears with 7% of voting intentions, according to .
During the interview, Ciro once again criticized the conduct of the state government, led by PT. He cited recent episodes involving municipal managers, such as the case of the former mayor of Choró, (PSB), who has remained on the run for over a year, and the situation in Santa Quitéria, where the elected mayor (PSB) was arrested before taking office and later lost his mandate, in a process that revealed links with a criminal faction.
Asked about the dialogue with the PL in Ceará, Ciro stated that the process requires time and respect for the party’s internal decisions. The negotiations had taken place after criticism made by him to the former president (PL), which was within the party.
“You have to give them time, I respect that a lot.”he said, when commenting on the stage of conversations with leaders of the party.
Next, the former governor mentioned former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro (PL), who last year he classified as “hasty” a possible state alliance with Ciro, an episode that contributed to the distance between the parties, and recalled that he has already criticized others who held the position, such as and (PT), currently leading the Executive.
“The criticisms I made against former president Bolsonaro are the same ones I made against Lula and FHC, because as a rule I was in the opposition. Candidate for president of Brazil, condemning the Brazilian economic model, which I consider antisocial, ruinous, as everyone will see, if not they are already seeing”he declared.
Ciro stated that he maintains a critical position in relation to the functioning of the national political system and compared the actions of different governments in the use of parliamentary amendments.
“I have a serious criticism of the governance model in Brazil. Lula and I criticized Bolsonaro because he released R$30 billion in amendments, without criteria. Lula is releasing twice as much. There we criticized Bolsonaro because it was Bolsonaro, now the kids say it’s governability. I don’t agree with that. I’m a person with loyal, clear positions, but I’m not willing to sell my soul to be president or another type of mission”, these.
