Faction bypasses INEC portal block
As the battle for the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) continues, the Tanimu Turaki-led Interim National Management Committee (INMC) of the party announced it has forwarded the name of former President Goodluck Jonathan to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its presidential candidate. This move comes despite INEC’s refusal to recognise the Turaki group and its subsequent denial of the electoral umpire’s access code to upload names of candidates. The group previously conducted primaries for about 1,470 candidates who were also issued certificates of return.
Ini Ememobong, the National Publicity Secretary of the Interim National Working Committee of the PDP, stated this on Friday while giving updates on the state of the party and its preparations for the 2027 general elections. BusinessDay checks show that the electoral umpire handed over the INEC access code to the Nyesom Wike-led group. A check on the INEC portal further revealed that the electoral commission recognised only the Wike-led PDP, which has Mohammed as the national chairman and Samuel Anyanwu as the national secretary.
The rival group subsequently uploaded the names of its presidential candidate, Sandy Onor, and his running mate, Babangida Umaru, to the INEC candidate nomination portal. Recently, the Turaki-led group visited former President Goodluck Jonathan at his Abuja residence, where they stated he purchased the PDP form to contest the 2027 presidential election on its platform. A total of 1,471 candidates—comprising one presidential candidate, 28 governorship, 109 senatorial, 360 House of Representatives, and 993 State House of Assembly candidates—were issued certificates of return by the Turaki-led group at an elaborate ceremony at the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja.
