A group within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said on Friday that it has officially named former President Goodluck Jonathan as its candidate for the 2027 general election. This comes amid a leadership fight in the party.
The group, led by Tanimu Turaki, who was a former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of bias and trying to harm its credibility.
Through its Interim National Working Committee, the party warned that if INEC publishes candidates from any other group, it would hurt public trust in the electoral body’s fairness.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Friday, Ini Ememobong, the National Publicity Secretary of the Interim National Working Committee, said they believe the Court of Appeal will reverse a recent decision from the Federal High Court. This decision did not force INEC to recognize the interim leadership.
Ememobong said the PDP went to court because INEC allegedly refused to accept the interim leadership formed by the party’s Board of Trustees and a member-requisitioned National Executive Committee. This happened after a Supreme Court ruling, which the party claims left it without a legally recognized National Working Committee.
"We want to protect the integrity of the Peoples Democratic Party from those who want to make Nigeria’s leading opposition party a branch of the ruling party," Ememobong stated.
He claimed that the attacks against the PDP are part of a bigger plan to weaken opposition parties and support a one-party state.
"We were the first target of this plan to break down opposition parties, but now it affects nearly all opposition groups," he said.
Ememobong added that even though INEC has not given the party access codes for electronic submissions, they still manually submitted their list of candidates as required by the Electoral Act 2026.
He mentioned that this list includes "our presidential candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan, and all the Governorship, National Assembly, and State Assembly candidates."
"Even without the access codes from INEC, which are just for convenience and not a legal must, we have submitted our candidates fully as required by the Electoral Act 2026, representing the real Peoples Democratic Party," he said.
The party is worried that INEC might publish names from another group and urged its members to stay hopeful if that happens.
"If the Commission publishes names that are not lawfully submitted by us, we ask our members, supporters, and Nigerians who are waiting for President Jonathan's candidacy not to lose hope. We are doing everything legal and democratic to protect our Party from being taken over by the ruling party," Ememobong said.
The interim leadership also questioned INEC’s actions during the legal fight, saying the commission is not behaving as a fair electoral body anymore.
"The Commission’s actions have sadly added to the growing belief that it is not acting with the neutrality expected from an electoral body," he added.
Ememobong accused the commission of hiding key facts in court cases involving the PDP and ignoring congresses it had monitored. He claimed these actions affected judicial decisions against the party.
He criticized the Federal High Court ruling made by Justice Salim Oluwasupo Ibrahim, saying it goes against earlier decisions made by the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal.
He pointed out that the party has already appealed the ruling and raised concerns about differences between the public judgment and its Certified True Copy.
"The Certified True Copy was given to us after a long wait and does not fully reflect what was said in open court. This raises serious questions, and we will address this legally," he added.
The PDP called on INEC to hold back on any decisions until the appeal is settled, saying this would help lessen doubts about the commission’s fairness.
"We hope that INEC will take this wise step. If they go ahead and publish names that are not officially submitted by the real leadership of the PDP, it will only increase public worries about their fairness," the party mentioned.
The PDP insists that this struggle is about protecting Nigeria’s democracy, not just an internal leadership problem.
"Electoral wrongdoing goes against democratic growth. It turns elections into mere rituals instead of real expressions of the people's will."
Ememobong expressed faith in winning the legal battle, concluding, "With God on our side, we will win, even if it takes time. We are ready to stick it out to the end."
The PDP has been facing a long leadership crisis that got worse after court rulings affected its National Working Committee. After the Supreme Court ruling, the party’s Board of Trustees and a member-requisitioned National Executive Committee set up an Interim National Working Committee to run the party until the dispute is resolved.
But INEC has not recognized this interim leadership, which led the party to take legal action at the Federal High Court. After an unfavorable ruling, the PDP appealed the decision while submitting its candidates manually for the 2027 elections.
This development comes as political parties finalize their candidate nominations ahead of the 2027 elections, with INEC expected to release the final list of candidates according to the Electoral Act and the electoral timetable.
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