2027 Election Twist: PDP Demands INEC Recognise Jonathan As Presidential Flagbearer

The Interim National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has insisted that former President Goodluck Jonathan is the party’s valid presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, warning the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against recognising or publishing any rival list of candidates.

The faction made the declaration on Saturday while announcing that it had appealed a recent Federal High Court judgment relating to the party’s leadership dispute.

Addressing journalists, the Interim NWC’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, said the group’s leadership emerged after a Supreme Court ruling which, according to the faction, left the PDP without a legally recognised national executive.

He explained that the party’s Board of Trustees and National Executive Committee subsequently constituted the interim leadership and formally notified INEC of the development.

Ememobong said the faction approached the Federal High Court in Abuja after the electoral commission allegedly failed to recognise the Interim NWC despite receiving official notifications and repeated correspondence.

He criticised the judgment delivered by Justice Salim Oluwasupo Ibrahim, arguing that it contradicted earlier decisions of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal.

According to him, the ruling went beyond the issues before the court by revisiting matters that had already been determined by superior courts, prompting the faction to file an appeal.

The spokesman also alleged delays in obtaining the Certified True Copy of the judgment and claimed that parts of the decision delivered in open court were not fully reflected in the certified version.

He expressed confidence that the Court of Appeal would resolve the dispute in favour of the Interim NWC and reaffirm the earlier judicial decisions.

The faction further accused INEC of failing to remain impartial in matters relating to the PDP, alleging that the commission had acted in a manner that created doubts about its neutrality.

Ememobong argued that the commission’s conduct, including its handling of internal party matters and court proceedings, had fuelled concerns over institutional bias.

He urged INEC to refrain from taking any action that could prejudice the pending appeal, warning that publishing candidates submitted by any other PDP leadership would further undermine public confidence in the electoral process.

The Interim NWC maintained that it had manually submitted its list of candidates after allegedly being denied the electronic access codes required for online submission.

According to Ememobong, the manual submission complied with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 and was formally acknowledged by the commission.

He said the list included former President Goodluck Jonathan as the PDP’s presidential candidate, alongside the party’s governorship, National Assembly and state House of Assembly candidates.

“Despite INEC’s refusal to grant us access to its electronic portal, we successfully submitted our candidates manually in full compliance with the Electoral Act 2026. That list includes our presidential candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan, as well as all other candidates for the various elective offices,” he stated.

The faction advised party members and supporters not to be discouraged if INEC eventually publishes a different list of candidates, insisting that the matter remains before the courts.

Ememobong described the leadership dispute as a broader struggle to preserve multi-party democracy, arguing that opposition parties must be protected from undue interference.

He added that the Interim NWC would continue to pursue constitutional and legal avenues to secure recognition for its leadership and candidates.

Expressing optimism about the outcome of the legal battle, he said the faction remained confident that its position would ultimately be upheld.

“We have always known this would be a marathon rather than a sprint. We remain steadfast in our pursuit of justice, and with God on our side, we believe victory is only a matter of time,” he said.