The Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party says it successfully nominated former President Goodluck Jonathan despite alleged attempts to stop the process.
ABUJA, FCT — The Kabiru Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party on Tuesday declared that all efforts to prevent former President Goodluck Jonathan from emerging as its presidential candidate for the 2027 election had failed. The faction made the claim during the presentation of certificates of return to its governorship candidates in Abuja, according to party officials.
National Organising Secretary of the faction, Theophilus Shan, said Jonathan purchased and completed the party’s nomination forms and was duly nominated in line with the party’s internal procedures. He added that unnamed interests attempted to frustrate the process but failed to stop the nomination. The faction also announced that it had produced candidates for several elective offices ahead of the 2027 polls.
According to Shan, the faction plans to field 28 governorship candidates in states where elections will hold, alongside 109 senatorial candidates, 360 candidates for the House of Representatives and 993 candidates for state Houses of Assembly. Turaki also expressed confidence that Jonathan remains a strong contender and said no other presidential candidate could match the former president’s political profile.
The development comes amid a prolonged leadership dispute within the PDP, with rival groups laying claim to the party’s structure and decisions. A separate faction linked to Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, had earlier urged Jonathan to reject the endorsement and described the process as unauthorised and misleading. The faction also insisted that its own primaries had already produced candidates for the 2027 elections.
Questions have also emerged over whether Jonathan would formally accept the nomination, as the former president has not publicly declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election. Political observers say his possible return to active politics could reshape the opposition landscape ahead of the next general election.
The development means internal divisions within the PDP remain unresolved as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum. It also places renewed attention on Jonathan’s political future and the ability of opposition parties to present a united front ahead of the presidential contest.
Turaki Led PDP Says Jonathan Nomination Efforts Succeeded
