The Kabiru Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee (INWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has awarded former President Goodluck Jonathan an automatic ticket to contest the 2027 presidential election. The decision was announced yesterday, marking a significant move by the party ahead of the upcoming polls.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, dismissed reports of parallel screenings and primaries within the party, insisting that the process was transparent and monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He emphasized that the party followed due process throughout the exercise.
The party explained that Jonathan was exempted from screening and other nomination processes following a waiver approved by the party leadership in his favor. Chairman of the screening committee and former governor of Niger State, Muazu Aliyu, disclosed this to journalists after the screening at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.
Aliyu noted that the committee had expected the former president to appear for screening but later confirmed that the party had resolved to clear him automatically for the presidential contest. “The party had already given a presidential aspirant a waiver from screening,” Aliyu said. “Like I said in the beginning, he was deputy governor, became governor, became vice president and later president, so we didn’t see anything that needed screening. Therefore, the party had given him a waiver. In other words, he has been declared and cleared as a candidate of the PDP for the presidential election, and that is former President Jonathan.”
The development came despite an earlier document released by the party indicating that it expected to screen 2,122 aspirants for the Houses of Assembly, 748 for the House of Representatives, 198 senatorial aspirants, 112 governorship aspirants, and one presidential aspirant. Meanwhile, many governorship aspirants who appeared before the screening panel used the opportunity to outline their programs and visions for their respective states.
Wike, while addressing journalists after inspecting ongoing infrastructure projects in Abuja, said the PDP followed due process in conducting its screenings and primaries, stressing that INEC officials were present throughout the exercise. “All I know is that we have completed our screening, and the primaries are going on. INEC was present at all the primaries,” he said.
The minister accused critics of spreading allegations without evidence, noting that the party had openly announced the venues for the exercises. “People like making assertions without facts. We announced where the screenings and primaries would take place,” Wike stated. He, however, declined to comment on claims that another faction of the party conducted separate exercises. “I don’t know about any other side. I am happy with the way the PDP is going about its primaries,” he added.
