The Kabiru Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee (INWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday said it had manually submitted former President Goodluck Jonathan’s presidential nomination and the names of its other candidates for the 2027 general elections to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), despite the commission’s refusal to recognise the committee.
The committee said Jonathan’s nomination, along with those of its governorship, National Assembly and state assembly candidates, was submitted manually in compliance with the Electoral Act 2026.
Addressing a press conference on Thursday night, the INWC National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, said INEC acknowledged receipt of the documents despite allegedly denying the faction access to electronic submission codes.
“Notwithstanding INEC’s refusal to provide us with the necessary access codes, we have successfully submitted, manually and in full compliance with the Electoral Act 2026, the list of candidates sponsored by the authentic Peoples Democratic Party,” Ememobong said.
He said the submission covered Jonathan’s presidential nomination as well as the party’s governorship, National Assembly and state assembly candidates.
Ememobong warned INEC against publishing any candidate list other than the one submitted by the committee.
“Should the Commission publish names other than those lawfully submitted by us… we are exhausting every constitutional, legal and democratic avenue to ensure that our party is not hijacked or annexed to the ruling party,” he said.
He said the leadership dispute stemmed from the Supreme Court’s judgment on the PDP, which he claimed left the party without a legally recognised national leadership, prompting the Board of Trustees and a requisitioned National Executive Committee meeting to constitute the Interim National Working Committee.
According to him, INEC refused to recognise the interim leadership despite being formally notified, forcing the committee to seek judicial intervention.
Ememobong also faulted a Federal High Court ruling dismissing the committee’s legitimacy, describing it as inconsistent with decisions of higher courts.
The PDP faction further accused INEC of abandoning its neutrality. Ememobong alleged that the commission withheld material facts in court and ignored congresses it monitored, reinforcing public perception that it was no longer acting impartially.
He also claimed the PDP was the first target of a broader campaign to weaken opposition parties and entrench one-party rule.
“We were the pioneer target for opposition dismantling and capture… but it has now spread to almost all the opposition parties,” he said, urging Nigerians to defend the country’s multi-party democracy against electoral authoritarianism.
The development highlights the deepening crisis within the PDP and the broader challenges facing Nigeria’s opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections.