The leadership crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a fresh turn after the Kabiru Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee announced the manual submission of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s presidential nomination to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The faction also submitted the names of its governorship, National Assembly and state assembly candidates for the 2027 general elections despite INEC’s refusal to recognise the interim leadership.
The development has intensified the dispute over control of the opposition party, with the Turaki camp maintaining that its candidate list was submitted in accordance with the Electoral Act 2026. Addressing journalists on Friday, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, said the party resorted to manual submission after INEC failed to provide the access codes required for electronic submission.
He argued that the codes were merely administrative tools and not a legal requirement for the submission of candidates. According to Ememobong, INEC acknowledged receipt of the documents containing Jonathan’s nomination and those of other candidates sponsored by the faction.
He warned that the party would challenge any candidate list published by the commission that differs from the names submitted by the Turaki-led committee. Ememobong said the party was prepared to pursue constitutional, legal and democratic measures to prevent what he described as an attempt to take over the PDP.
The PDP spokesperson traced the leadership dispute to a Supreme Court judgment concerning the party’s leadership structure. He claimed the ruling 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, the committee subsequently notified INEC of its emergence, but the electoral commission declined to recognise the arrangement. The dispute eventually moved to court, where the Turaki faction challenged INEC’s position.
Ememobong, however, criticised the Federal High Court judgment in the matter, arguing that its reasoning was inconsistent with previous decisions of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal. He disclosed that the PDP had appealed the judgment and was also preparing to challenge what it described as discrepancies between the judgment delivered in open court and the Certified True Copy.
The party also accused INEC of failing to maintain the neutrality expected of an electoral umpire. Ememobong alleged that the commission withheld relevant information during court proceedings and disregarded congresses monitored by its officials.
He said such actions were contributing to declining confidence in the electoral process. The PDP spokesperson further alleged that the crisis affecting the party was part of a wider effort to weaken opposition parties and consolidate one-party dominance in Nigeria.
According to him, the PDP was among the earliest opposition parties affected by what he described as a broader campaign of political dismantling and capture. He warned that allowing such developments to continue could undermine Nigeria’s multiparty democracy and democratic consolidation.
Despite the ongoing dispute, Ememobong expressed confidence that the PDP would ultimately overcome the challenges. The latest development is expected to add another layer to the party’s leadership crisis as political parties prepare for the 2027 general elections and INEC moves towards the publication of candidates for the polls.
