A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is scheduled to hold a Special National Convention on Saturday to formally ratify former President Goodluck Jonathan as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
The convention is to take place at the ‘A’ Class Event Centre, Kashim Ibrahim Way, Wuse-2, Abuja, beginning at 10am.
The faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, and its National Organising Secretary, Theophilus Dakas Shan, signed the invitation to the event, yesterday.
The invitation described the gathering as a “Special National Convention for the Ratification of the Nomination of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR as the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party”.
Saturday’s convention follows a sequence of steps by the Kabiru Turaki-led faction to position Jonathan as its flag-bearer. The faction’s screening committee had, on May 19, granted Jonathan a waiver and cleared him as its sole presidential aspirant.
Former Niger State governor Babangida Aliyu, who chaired the screening committee, said the party decided to grant the waiver based on Jonathan’s political record spanning deputy governor, governor, vice president, and president. The faction then held its presidential primary on Wednesday, May 28, ahead of Saturday’s ratification exercise.
The Federal High Court in Abuja also declared Jonathan eligible to participate in the 2027 presidential election on Tuesday, a ruling that drew a positive reaction from the Turaki-led faction.
Justice Peter Lifu held that a plaintiff who had sought to bar Jonathan from contesting lacked the legal right to institute the suit, as he had not suffered any loss from the former president’s perceived intention to run.
Reacting to the ruling, the PDP said laws could not have retro-active or retrospective effect and described the suit as vexatious and a gross abuse of court processes. It added that the judgment, combined with the screening waiver earlier granted to Jonathan, had cleared the path for his participation in its presidential primary.
As of the time of filing this report, Jonathan has yet to publicly accept the nomination or confirm his intention to contest.
