A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Kabiru Turaki has fixed Saturday for a special national convention to formally ratify former President Goodluck Jonathan as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
The faction disclosed this in a joint statement issued on Thursday by Ini Ememobong, its National Publicity Secretary, and Theophilus Shan, National Organising Secretary. According to the statement, the convention, scheduled to hold in Abuja, will officially confirm Jonathan’s emergence as the party’s flag bearer.
The move follows the faction’s earlier decision on May 19 to waive screening requirements for Jonathan, who remains the sole presidential aspirant under the Turaki-led group. Party leaders argued that, having previously served as Nigeria’s president, Jonathan should be exempted from the standard screening process usually required for aspirants seeking the party’s nomination.
The development comes shortly after a Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed a suit challenging Jonathan’s eligibility to contest the 2027 presidential election. Delivering judgment on Tuesday, Justice Peter Lifu ruled that the plaintiff, JohnMary Jideobi, lacked the legal standing to institute the case because he failed to show any personal injury or loss arising from Jonathan’s intention to run. The court also awarded N20 million in costs against the plaintiff in favour of the former president.
Reacting to the judgment, the Turaki-led PDP faction described the ruling as one grounded in “law and common sense.” The group maintained that legislation cannot operate retroactively and declared that the court’s verdict had cleared the way for Jonathan’s “presidential rescue mission.”
Jonathan served as Nigeria’s president between 2010 and 2015.
The latest development highlights the growing division within the PDP, which is currently split into rival factions. On Wednesday, the faction aligned with Nyesom Wike announced former senator Sandy Onor as its own presidential candidate for the 2027 election, further deepening the party’s internal crisis.
