Morganable Politics/Elections
The Federal High Court had declined to compel INEC to recognise the interim leadership constituted by the party’s Board of Trustees and a member-requisitioned National Executive Committee, a decision that has further complicated the PDP’s internal dispute
kaNo —
The leadership crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deepened on Friday as the party dismissed as “illegal and worthless” the purported submission of former President Goodluck Jonathan as its 2027 presidential candidate by a faction led by Taminu Turaki.
His reaction followed a claim by the Turaki-led faction that it had manually forwarded Jonathan’s name to INEC as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, the National Publicity Secretary of the Interim National Working Committee aligned with the faction, Ini Ememobong, insisted that the group remained the authentic leadership of the PDP and expressed confidence that the Court of Appeal would overturn a recent ruling of the Federal High Court.
Federal High Court Declines Request To Recognize Turaki’s Faction
The Federal High Court had declined to compel INEC to recognise the interim leadership constituted by the party’s Board of Trustees and a member-requisitioned National Executive Committee, a decision that has further complicated the PDP’s internal dispute.
Ememobong said the faction resorted to litigation after INEC allegedly refused to recognise its leadership despite what it described as a vacuum created by a prior judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, which it claimed left the party without a legally recognised National Working Committee.
“Our decision to seek judicial intervention was, and remains, about preserving the integrity of the Peoples Democratic Party from those who seek to reduce Nigeria’s foremost opposition party into an appendage of the ruling party,” Ememobong said.
“We were the pioneer target for opposition dismantling and capture as part of the pressure for the attainment of a one-party state, but it has now spread to almost all the opposition parties,” he said.
Turaki’s Faction Submit List Manually
Despite INEC’s alleged refusal to issue access codes required for electronic submission of candidates, the faction said it had proceeded to submit its list manually in compliance with the Electoral Act 2026.
According to Ememobong, the submission included Jonathan as presidential candidate alongside governorship, National Assembly and state assembly candidates.
“Notwithstanding INEC’s refusal to provide us with the necessary access codes, which is an administrative convenience rather than a legal requirement, 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,” he said.
It warned that any move by the electoral body to recognise candidates other than those it submitted would erode public confidence in the neutrality of the commission.
“Should the Commission publish names other than those lawfully submitted by us, we urge our members, supporters and Nigerians who eagerly await the candidature of President Jonathan not to despair. We are exhausting every constitutional, legal and democratic avenue to ensure that our party is not hijacked,” Ememobong added.
He emphasised that INEC’s nomination process is strictly electronic and accessible only to recognised political parties through secure access codes, stressing that there is no provision for manual submission.
“To submit candidates’ names to INEC, you must have an access code given by INEC and you have to upload those names on its server using that code. INEC did not prescribe any manual method,” he said.
“How did their purported candidates list emerge? Did they hold primaries? Were they monitored by INEC? Are they even legally recognised? They cannot just wake up and compile names for INEC,” he said.
He added that any document submitted outside the legal framework would be disregarded by the commission.
“INEC is a creation of law and can only act in accordance with the law. The names they claimed to have submitted deserve nothing other than to be shredded,” Mohammed said.
The PDP also called on Jonathan to distance himself from the Turaki-led faction, warning that his continued silence could be interpreted as tacit approval of the group’s actions.
Describing the development as an “unfortunate charade,” Mohammed urged the former president to publicly clarify his position to prevent further damage to his reputation.
“It is unfortunate that a respected former president has allowed himself to be drawn into this. His continued silence only suggests consent. He needs to speak to Nigerians and clear his name,” he said.
Meanwhile, the internal rift within the PDP has continued to widen, with different camps trading accusations over the direction of the party.
Wike’s Faction Urges Turaki To Obey Court Order
A faction aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, also weighed in on the crisis, calling on party elders, including Bode George and Turaki, to respect court decisions rather than engage in what it described as unproductive criticisms.
In a statement by another party spokesman, Haruna Mohammed, the group said adherence to lawful rulings was essential to resolving the crisis.
The call came in response to comments made by Bode George during an appearance on Arise Television, where he vowed not to abandon the PDP despite the ongoing turmoil.
George had criticised Wike, accusing him of dominating party structures to support the re-election of President Bola Tinubu and weakening opposition voices.
According to him, the situation poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s democracy, as it undermines the ability of opposition parties to function effectively.
The PDP has in recent months been engulfed in a protracted leadership crisis marked by expulsions and counter-expulsions of key figures, further fragmenting the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
Observers say the latest controversy over candidate submission underscores the depth of the divisions within the party and raises concerns about its readiness to present a united front in the next general election.
As the legal battles continue and rival factions assert competing claims to legitimacy, the role of INEC and the courts will likely be pivotal in determining which leadership and candidates are ultimately recognised.
