A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has announced that it has forwarded the name of former President Goodluck Jonathan to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, despite the party’s unresolved leadership dispute.
Key Highlights
- A PDP faction says it has submitted former President Goodluck Jonathan as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
- The faction, led by an Interim National Working Committee (INWC) headed by Kabiru Turaki (SAN), also submitted names of governorship, National Assembly and state House of Assembly candidates.
- The group said the candidate list was manually delivered to INEC in line with the Electoral Act 2026.
- The faction alleged that while INEC acknowledged receipt of the documents, it denied access to the electronic candidate nomination portal.
- Spokesman Ini Ememobong maintained that the interim leadership is the lawful authority of the PDP following Supreme Court rulings, according to the faction’s interpretation.
The group, operating under an Interim National Working Committee (INWC) headed by Kabiru Turaki (SAN), said it submitted Jonathan’s nomination together with the names of its governorship, National Assembly and state House of Assembly candidates.
Addressing journalists, the faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, said the documents were delivered manually to INEC in compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
He claimed that although the electoral commission acknowledged receipt of the submission, the faction was denied access to INEC’s electronic candidate nomination portal.
According to Ememobong, the interim leadership remains the lawful authority of the PDP. He argued that following Supreme Court decisions which, in the faction’s view, left the party without a recognised national executive, the Board of Trustees and a National Executive Committee meeting convened by party members established the interim structure to steer the party’s affairs.
He disclosed that the faction subsequently approached the Federal High Court in Abuja after INEC allegedly declined to recognise the interim leadership despite receiving formal notification of its emergence.
Ememobong also criticised a recent judgment delivered by Justice Salim Oluwasupo Ibrahim, insisting that the decision was inconsistent with earlier rulings of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal. He said the faction had already filed an appeal and remained optimistic that the verdict would be overturned.
Read also:
- 2027 Ebonyi Reps Race: Igboke’s Supporters Accuse APC of ‘Politics of Fear’ Amid Defection Row
- Abia State Approves ₦200 Million Campaign Permit Fee for Presidential Candidates Ahead of 2027 Elections
- Group Threatens Legal Action Over High Nomination Fees By Political Parties
- Group Calls on Tinubu to Back Jonathan for UN Secretary-General Role
He further alleged irregularities in the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment, claiming that portions of the document did not accurately reflect the decision delivered in open court.
The spokesman accused INEC of failing to remain impartial, alleging that the commission had ignored judicial pronouncements and other facts favourable to the faction. He warned that any publication of a different list of PDP candidates by the electoral body could further raise questions about its neutrality.
Despite the ongoing legal battle, Ememobong urged party supporters to remain peaceful, assuring them that the faction would continue to pursue all available legal avenues while defending what it described as the authentic leadership of the PDP.
He maintained that the manual submission of candidates fully complied with the Electoral Act 2026 and cautioned against actions that, in his view, could weaken opposition parties and encourage the emergence of a one-party political system.
Ememobong expressed confidence that the courts would eventually determine the leadership dispute in the faction’s favour, insisting that the legal process would be pursued to its conclusion.
