2027 Race Heats Up As PDP Finalises Over 70% Of Gov, Assembly Candidates

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has announced that it has successfully uploaded more than 70 percent of its candidates for the 2027 governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) nomination portal.

Speaking on Saturday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, said the submission process has progressed steadily after minor technical issues with INEC’s portal were resolved.

According to Mohammed, the PDP had uploaded more than 18 governorship candidates out of the 28 expected as of his latest briefing from the National Organising Secretary. He noted that the figure was likely to have increased further as party officials continued the exercise nationwide.

He dismissed concerns that the party’s internal affairs could delay the submission process, stressing that adequate personnel had been deployed across the country to ensure all candidates are uploaded before the deadline.

“As of my last communication with the National Organising Secretary, we had uploaded over 18 governorship candidates out of the expected 28. That means we have surpassed 70 percent, if not more. Our leadership has assigned enough personnel, and they are working across the country to complete the uploads,” Mohammed said.

He explained that the only setback encountered during the exercise involved temporary technical glitches on INEC’s portal, adding that the electoral commission resolved the issues without affecting the party’s internal preparations.

“There were only minor technical challenges with the portal, but INEC addressed them quickly and the process resumed. On our part, everything has gone according to plan, and the exercise has continued smoothly,” he added.

Mohammed also maintained that the PDP leadership remains focused on preparations for the 2027 general elections and would not allow internal disputes or external pressures to disrupt its electoral plans.

Turaki-Led PDP Faction Expresses Confidence in Court Battle

Meanwhile, the faction of the PDP led by Tanimu Turaki (SAN) has expressed optimism that the courts will ultimately rule in its favour in the ongoing legal dispute over the party’s leadership and candidate nomination process.

The faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, said the group believes the judiciary will correct what it considers irregularities associated with the candidate submission process being carried out by the Abdulrahman Mohammed- and Samuel Anyanwu-led leadership.

While acknowledging that court proceedings may take time, Ememobong said the faction remains convinced that any actions found to have been improperly taken can be reversed through the judicial process.

“Justice may not come immediately, but it will certainly prevail. When it does, restorative justice will ensure that what has been lost is restored. We have full confidence in the Nigerian judiciary,” he said.

He added that the legal system remains capable of correcting wrongdoing, noting that the principle that every wrong has a remedy gives the faction confidence that the courts will restore fairness and integrity to the process.

INEC Deadline Remains August 8

Under INEC’s timetable for the 2027 general elections, political parties were required to submit the names of their presidential and National Assembly candidates between June 27 and July 11, 2026, alongside the relevant nomination forms in line with Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026.

For governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections, the electoral commission fixed the nomination window to run from 9:00 a.m. on July 18 until 6:00 p.m. on August 8, 2026.