A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said it submitted the name of former President Goodluck Jonathan to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election amid the party’s lingering leadership crisis.
It was reported that the faction’s Interim National Working Committee, led by Kabiru Turaki (SAN), said it manually submitted Jonathan’s name alongside those of its governorship, National Assembly and state House of Assembly candidates in compliance with the Electoral Act 2026.
Addressing a press conference late Thursday, the National Publicity Secretary of the Interim National Working Committee, Ini Ememobong, said INEC acknowledged receipt of the documents despite allegedly denying the faction access to electronic submission codes.
Ememobong maintained that the faction is the authentic leadership of the PDP, arguing that a Supreme Court judgment had left the party without a legally recognised national leadership.
According to him, the development prompted the party’s Board of Trustees and a National Executive Committee meeting convened through members’ requisition to establish an interim leadership structure.
He said the faction subsequently approached the Federal High Court in Abuja after INEC allegedly declined to recognise the interim leadership despite being notified of its constitution and receiving further reminders.
Ememobong also faulted a recent judgment delivered by Justice Salim Oluwasupo Ibrahim, arguing that the decision conflicted with earlier rulings of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, which he said formed the basis of the faction’s case.
“The judgment reads more like an appeal on the judgments of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal,” he said.
He added that the faction had appealed the judgment and expressed confidence that the appellate court would uphold the earlier decisions.
The faction also alleged irregularities in the release of the Certified True Copy of the judgment, claiming that parts of the document did not accurately reflect the ruling delivered in open court.
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Ememobong further accused INEC of failing to remain neutral in matters relating to the PDP, alleging that the commission had ignored material facts and court orders favourable to the party.
“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.
He argued that if INEC eventually published names different from those submitted by the faction, it would reinforce public concerns over the commission’s impartiality and create the impression that it was supporting those seeking to weaken the opposition.
The spokesman urged party members and supporters not to lose confidence if such a situation arose, saying the faction would continue to pursue legal and constitutional remedies.
He described the dispute as part of a broader struggle to prevent what he called the erosion of opposition politics and the emergence of a one-party state.
Ememobong said the faction’s candidates remained confident in the judicial process and were committed to reclaiming the party.
“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,” he stated.
He also warned against what he described as “electoral authoritarianism,” saying democratic institutions should not be used to suppress opposition parties.
Ememobong expressed confidence that the courts would eventually resolve the leadership dispute in the faction’s favour, adding that its members were prepared to pursue the matter to its conclusion.
