The Tanimu Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee (INWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has confirmed that it manually submitted the names of its presidential candidate, former President Goodluck Jonathan, to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2027 general elections. The submission, made on Thursday in Abuja, also included candidates for governorship and National Assembly seats.
Speaking at a news conference, the faction's National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, revealed that the names were handed over physically because the faction could not access INEC's digital portal. He insisted that the action was in full compliance with existing electoral laws and that INEC acknowledged receipt of the submissions.
Manual submission to INEC
Ememobong said the faction delivered the complete list of candidates sponsored by what it described as the "authentic PDP." This includes Jonathan, who was ratified as the faction's presidential candidate on 30 May, alongside all governorship and National Assembly flag bearers. The commission, however, had declined to provide the necessary access codes for the online submission, which the faction termed an administrative hurdle rather than a legal requirement.
"We are pleased to announce that we have successfully submitted, manually, and in full compliance with the Electoral Act 2026, the entirety of the list of candidates sponsored by the authentic PDP. This is notwithstanding INEC's refusal to provide us with the necessary access codes, which is an administrative convenience rather than a legal requirement. This submission contains the names of our presidential candidate, former President Goodluck Jonathan, as well as all governorship and National Assembly candidates, receipt of which has been duly acknowledged by INEC. As part of the electoral timetable, INEC will soon publish the names of candidates sponsored by political parties," the faction said.
The faction also urged its loyalists not to despair should INEC fail to publish the names."We are exhausting every constitutional, legal, and democratic avenue to ensure that our party is not hijacked or annexed to the ruling party," Ememobong added.
INEC accused of bias
Ememobong criticised the electoral umpire, alleging institutional bias and a lack of neutrality, particularly in matters involving the opposition party. He claimed INEC officials had suppressed facts they witnessed during party congresses and meetings when testifying in court.
"In every matter involving our party, including court proceedings before even the Ibadan convention, INEC officials withheld or failed to acknowledge material facts which they witnessed. Congresses monitored by INEC, meetings attended by INEC, were facts that INEC officials suppressed on oath in court and refused to acknowledge. Even in subsequent matters, INEC seems to know the internal affairs and the internal organisation of the PDP in favour of one side, more than even normal members of the party," he said.
He urged INEC to exercise restraint and await the final determination of pending legal disputes before publishing any candidate lists, warning that preemptive action could undermine the legal process.
Appeal against court ruling
The faction revealed that it has filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal challenging the ruling of the Federal High Court in Abuja. Ememobong expressed dissatisfaction with the judgment delivered by Justice Salim Ibrahim, describing it as inconsistent with earlier decisions of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal. The party had approached the Federal High Court seeking an order to compel INEC to recognise the interim NWC.
"The case we went for was for the enforcement of the judgments of the court, not a re-litigation of the issues therefrom. Rather than determine the questions relating to the enforcement of those subsisting judgements, my Lord, in his wisdom, but in our interpretation, ventured into issues already settled by these superior courts. It is for this reason that we have exercised our constitutional right of appeal, and I can tell you that we have appealed that judgement," he said.
Ememobong also raised concerns about the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Federal High Court judgment, which he said was released after considerable delay and did not fully reflect portions delivered in open court."The Certified True Copy did not fully reflect portions of the judgement that were delivered in open court. Therefore, those who were in open court, who heard my Lord, and who have seen the CTC, are beginning to find a way of knowing the convergent and divergent points between what they heard and what they have read," he explained.
Rival faction's candidates
The PDP remains embroiled in a leadership tussle. The Turaki-led faction's move comes days after another faction led by Abdulrahman Mohammed, backed by Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike, affirmed former senator Sandy Onor as its presidential candidate. On 12 July, that faction uploaded Onor's name, his running mate Babangida Umaru, and National Assembly candidates to the INEC portal.
Jonathan, however, has yet to publicly comment on his nomination by the Turaki-led faction, leaving room for speculation about his acceptance of the candidacy.
Determination to reclaim party
Despite the legal obstacles, Ememobong reaffirmed the faction's commitment to preserving Nigeria's multi-party democracy and reclaiming the PDP through legal channels. He framed the struggle as a long-term battle.
"We remain hopeful. With God on our side—not man on our side, not power on our side, not money on our side, but with God on our side, victory is certain. We understood from the very beginning that this struggle would be a marathon and not a sprint, and therefore, we came adequately prepared for a marathon and not a sprint. We remain willing and prepared to endure to the very end, to endure ridicule and harassment," Ememobong said.
The faction's decision to appeal the Federal High Court ruling and its manual submission to INEC underline the deepening fissures within the PDP as the 2027 election approaches. With both factions claiming legitimacy, the resolution of the legal disputes will likely determine which candidate ultimately appears on the ballot.
