2027: Jonathan’s presidential bid hits setback as INEC rejects PDP faction’s nomination

The Independent National Electoral Commission has rejected the presidential nomination of former President Goodluck Jonathan submitted by the Kabiru Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, insisting that all political parties must submit candidates through its designated electronic portal.

The development has further deepened the PDP’s leadership crisis ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the Turaki-led faction maintaining that it validly submitted Jonathan’s nomination and the names of all its candidates manually after the commission allegedly denied it access to the online platform.

INEC rejects manual submission

INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, said the commission does not recognise manual submission of candidates, stressing that its regulations clearly provide for electronic filing through a dedicated portal.

According to her, compliance with the commission’s guidelines is mandatory for every registered political party participating in elections.

“Submission is only done on a dedicated portal as stipulated by our regulations and guidelines,” Eta-Messi said.

Her clarification effectively invalidates the manual documents presented by the Turaki-led faction and raises uncertainty over the status of the candidates it claims to have nominated.

PDP faction defends nomination

Despite INEC’s position, the Turaki faction insisted it complied with the Electoral Act 2026 in submitting its candidates.

National Publicity Secretary of the faction, Comrade Ini Ememobong, said the committee opted for manual submission after INEC allegedly refused to provide the access codes required for electronic filing.

He argued that the access codes are merely administrative tools and not legal prerequisites for presenting candidates.

According to him, the committee successfully submitted Jonathan’s presidential nomination together with the names of governorship, National Assembly and state House of Assembly candidates across the federation.

Ememobong also claimed that the commission acknowledged receipt of the documents despite refusing to recognise the faction’s leadership.

He maintained that the group remained the authentic leadership of the PDP and was therefore empowered to nominate candidates for the 2027 elections.

Warning against alternative list

The PDP faction warned INEC against recognising or publishing the names of candidates submitted by any rival faction of the party.

Ememobong said any attempt to do so would amount to disregarding lawful submissions and would be challenged through every available constitutional and legal process.

He vowed that the faction would defend what it described as the legitimate structure of the party.

According to him, the committee would not allow the PDP to be hijacked or manipulated by external interests through administrative actions.

He expressed confidence that the courts would eventually uphold the faction’s position.

Leadership dispute lingers

Ememobong traced the crisis to a Supreme Court judgment which, according to him, left the PDP without a legally recognised National Working Committee.

He explained that the party’s Board of Trustees, alongside a requisitioned National Executive Committee meeting, subsequently constituted an Interim National Working Committee to provide leadership for the party.

He accused INEC of refusing to recognise the interim leadership despite receiving formal notification from the party.

According to him, the refusal compelled the faction to institute legal proceedings against the commission.

Court battle continues

The faction also criticised a subsequent Federal High Court judgment on the matter, describing it as inconsistent with earlier decisions of both the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal.

Ememobong alleged that the ruling attempted to reopen legal issues that had already been settled by superior courts.

He disclosed that the faction had already appealed the judgment and would also challenge alleged discrepancies between the decision delivered in court and its Certified True Copy.

He further accused INEC of abandoning its constitutional neutrality by allegedly withholding important facts during court proceedings and refusing to recognise congresses monitored by the commission.

Democracy under threat

Beyond the legal dispute, Ememobong alleged that the PDP’s internal crisis formed part of a broader effort to weaken opposition parties and entrench one-party dominance in Nigeria.

He claimed the PDP was the first major opposition party targeted in what he described as a systematic campaign against democratic competition, adding that similar developments were now affecting other opposition parties.

Calling on Nigerians to defend the country’s multi-party democracy, he warned that continued interference in opposition politics could undermine public confidence in the electoral process and weaken democratic institutions.