Turaki Faction Accuses INEC of Bias, Submits Goodluck Jonathan as PDP Presidential Candidate

A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by former Minister Tanimu Turaki has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of institutional bias, while announcing the submission of former President Goodluck Jonathan as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, Ini Ememobong, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP’s Interim National Working Committee (NWC), confirmed that the party submitted its full candidate list manually including its presidential candidate, Goodluck Jonathan in compliance with the Electoral Act 2026 after INEC withheld access codes for electronic submission.

Ememobong explained that the resort to manual submission followed INEC’s refusal to recognize the interim executive constituted by the party’s Board of Trustees and National Executive Committee. He accused the electoral body of withholding material facts in court and attempting to undermine opposition leadership to facilitate a one-party state.

Addressing a recent Federal High Court judgment that declined to compel INEC to recognize the interim committee, Ememobong noted that the faction has appealed the decision, citing discrepancies between the ruling delivered in open court and the Certified True Copy.

The interim leadership called on INEC to exercise restraint pending the appeal’s outcome and urged supporters to stay resolute as the party exhausts all legal avenues to prevent its capture by ruling party interests.