…Alleges denial of portal access
A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Kabiru Turaki (SAN) has submitted the name of former President Goodluck Jonathan to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, intensifying the party’s ongoing leadership crisis.
The faction said it was forced to submit Jonathan’s nomination manually after INEC allegedly denied it access codes required to upload candidates’ details electronically.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Thursday night, the Interim National Working Committee’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, said the commission acknowledged receipt of the manually submitted documents, which also included the names of the faction’s governorship, National Assembly and state House of Assembly candidates.
According to Ememobong, the submission was made in full compliance with the Electoral Act 2026 despite what he described as efforts by INEC to frustrate the process. He maintained that the Turaki-led group is the authentic leadership of the PDP, arguing that a Supreme Court judgment left the party without a legally recognised national leadership.
Ememobong explained that the PDP Board of Trustees and a National Executive Committee meeting convened through members’ requisition subsequently established an interim leadership structure to steer the party. He said the faction later approached the Federal High Court in Abuja after INEC allegedly refused to recognise the interim leadership despite being formally notified of its constitution.
The spokesman also criticised a recent judgment delivered by Justice Salim Oluwasupo Ibrahim, claiming it conflicted with earlier decisions of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal. “The judgment reads more like an appeal on the judgments of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal”, Ememobong said.
He disclosed that the faction had already appealed the ruling and expressed confidence that the Court of Appeal would overturn it. Ememobong further alleged irregularities in the issuance of the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment, claiming that parts of the document did not accurately reflect the decision delivered in open court.
The faction also accused INEC of failing to remain impartial in the PDP leadership dispute. “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 warned that if INEC eventually publishes a different list of candidates from the one submitted by the Turaki-led faction, it would deepen public concerns over the commission’s neutrality.
Ememobong urged PDP members and supporters to remain steadfast, assuring them that the faction would continue to pursue legal and constitutional remedies. Describing the crisis as part of a broader struggle to preserve opposition politics in Nigeria, he warned against what he termed: “electoral authoritarianism”, and the emergence of a one-party state.
“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 said, and expressed confidence that the courts would ultimately resolve the party’s leadership dispute in the faction’s favour.
