PDP Crisis Deepens as Faction Submits Jonathan’s Name to INEC for 2027 Presidential Election

PDP Crisis Deepens as Faction Submits Jonathan’s Name to INEC for 2027 Presidential Election

• The Turaki-led faction insists on manual submission, while INEC rejects the move and the main PDP leadership dismisses it as “illegal and worthless.”

A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has submitted the name of former President Goodluck Jonathan to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, escalating the lingering leadership crisis within Nigeria’s main opposition party.

The group, operating under the Interim National Working Committee (INWC) headed by Kabiru Turaki (SAN) , said the submission was made in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 after what it described as difficulties encountered in accessing the electronic submission platform. Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday night, the faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, said the party forwarded Jonathan’s name alongside those of governorship, National Assembly and State Assembly candidates across the country. According to him, the submission was done manually after the faction allegedly failed to receive the necessary electronic access codes from INEC.

“Notwithstanding INEC’s refusal to provide us with the necessary access codes, we have successfully submitted, manually and in full compliance with the Electoral Act 2026, the list of candidates sponsored by the authentic Peoples Democratic Party,” Ememobong said. He maintained that the faction remains the legitimate leadership of the PDP, arguing that previous court decisions created a vacuum in the party’s national leadership structure. Ememobong said the development led to the establishment of an interim leadership arrangement by the party’s Board of Trustees and a National Executive Committee meeting convened through member requisition.

The spokesman disclosed that the faction had approached the Federal High Court in Abuja after INEC allegedly declined to recognise the interim leadership despite receiving formal notifications regarding its emergence. He also faulted a recent judgment delivered by Justice Salim Oluwasupo Ibrahim, insisting that the ruling was inconsistent with earlier decisions of superior courts. “The judgment reads more like an appeal on the judgments of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal,” he stated. Ememobong said the faction had already challenged the ruling at the Court of Appeal and expressed confidence that the appellate court would overturn the decision.

The PDP faction accused INEC of failing to remain neutral in matters relating to the opposition party. Ememobong claimed that the commission had repeatedly ignored facts and court orders which he said were favourable to the faction. “The Commission’s filings, its arguments before the courts and its refusal to comply with court orders favourable to our Party have collectively created an impression of institutional bias that should concern every Nigerian,” he said.

The Independent National Electoral Commission has dismissed the faction’s claim of a valid submission. INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Ita-Messi, stated that political parties are required to submit candidates’ names electronically through the commission’s designated portal. “Submission is only done on a dedicated portal as stipulated by our regulations and guidelines please,” Ita-Messi said. She questioned how the faction could claim to have successfully submitted candidates after alleging it was denied access to the commission’s electronic platform.

The main PDP leadership, backed by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and led by Abdulraham Mohammed, has rejected the purported submission, describing the move as “illegal and worthless” . The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, said only a legally recognised leadership with authorised access to INEC’s candidate nomination portal could submit names on behalf of the PDP. He urged Jonathan to publicly distance himself from the faction, warning that his silence could be interpreted as approval. “It is just wishful thinking, and the most unfortunate thing about the whole of this charade is how a respected former president of this country, Goodluck Jonathan, has allowed himself to be ridiculed by this group of recalcitrant and disloyal citizens of this country,” Mohammed stated. He argued that INEC did not prescribe any manual way of submitting a list of candidates, questioning whether the purported candidates emerged from valid primaries monitored by INEC.

The development places the PDP leadership dispute at the centre of the 2027 election preparations. The rival PDP camp has already submitted Senator Sandy Onor as its presidential candidate, while the Turaki-led faction insists on Jonathan’s candidacy. The Turaki-led faction has warned that if INEC publishes names different from those it submitted, it would reinforce public concerns about the commission’s impartiality. The group has vowed to pursue all legal and constitutional avenues to ensure its candidates are recognised.

However, former President Jonathan has not publicly commented on the development as of the time of filing this report. The faction had ratified Jonathan as its candidate on 30 May for the January 2027 presidential election, but the former president has yet to comment on his choice since then. His silence has raised questions about whether he actually accepts the nomination or is distancing himself from the faction’s actions.

PDP Crisis Deepens as Faction Submits Jonathan’s Name to INEC for 2027 Presidential Election