PDP Turaki Faction Submits Jonathan, Other Candidates’ Names to INEC for 2027 Poll
The Kabiru Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it has manually submitted the names of its presidential candidate, former President Goodluck Jonathan, and other candidates for the 2027 general elections to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The move comes despite INEC’s recognition of the rival PDP leadership led by Abdulrahman Mohammed, a faction reportedly backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The PDP has remained divided since its disputed national convention held in Ibadan last year. Several court cases followed, including a Supreme Court judgment that nullified the convention, but the crisis over the party’s leadership has persisted.
Following the court rulings, INEC recognised the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led leadership and granted it access to the commission’s candidate nomination portal for the 2027 elections.
Addressing journalists, the National Publicity Secretary of the Interim National Working Committee under Turaki’s leadership, Ini Ememobong, insisted that the faction’s candidates were duly nominated in accordance with the Electoral Act 2026.
He disclosed that after being denied access to INEC’s online nomination portal, the faction opted for manual submission of its candidates’ list, maintaining that the process complied fully with the law.
Ememobong urged INEC not to publish any list other than the one submitted by the Turaki-led leadership, stressing that the faction would continue to pursue all legal and constitutional means to defend what it described as the authentic PDP.
He also criticised a recent judgment of the Federal High Court, which declined to recognise the Turaki-led leadership, arguing that the decision was inconsistent with earlier rulings of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, which the faction believes support its position.
