2027: INEC Rejects Jonathan’s Candidacy as Turaki’s PDP Insists on Manual Submission
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rejected the presidential nomination of former President Goodluck Jonathan submitted by the Kabiru Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), insisting that candidates can only be nominated through its designated electronic portal.
The development came after the Turaki-led faction claimed on Friday that it had manually submitted Jonathan’s presidential nomination, alongside the names of its governorship, National Assembly and state House of Assembly candidates for the 2027 general elections, despite the lingering leadership crisis within the party.
Reacting to the claim, INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, said the commission does not accept manual submissions.
“Submission is only done on a dedicated portal as stipulated by our regulations and guidelines,” she said.
However, the National Publicity Secretary of the Turaki-led faction, Comrade Ini Ememobong, maintained that the faction opted for manual submission after INEC allegedly refused to provide the access codes required for electronic filing.
According to him, the access codes are merely an administrative requirement and not a legal condition under the Electoral Act 2026.
“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 further claimed that INEC acknowledged receipt of the documents despite the dispute over the recognition of the party’s leadership.
Ememobong warned the electoral commission against publishing any list of candidates different from the one submitted by the faction, vowing to explore all constitutional and legal means to protect what he described as the authentic structure of the PDP.
He traced the party’s leadership crisis to the decision of its Board of Trustees and a requisitioned National Executive Committee meeting to constitute an Interim National Working Committee following a Supreme Court judgment, which he said left the party without a legally recognised national leadership.
The PDP spokesman also faulted a subsequent Federal High Court judgment on the matter, arguing that it was inconsistent with existing decisions of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal. He disclosed that the faction had appealed the judgment and would also challenge alleged discrepancies between the ruling delivered in court and its Certified True Copy.
Ememobong accused INEC of failing to remain neutral in handling the party’s internal crisis, alleging that the commission withheld material facts during court proceedings and ignored congresses it had monitored.
He further claimed that the PDP’s leadership crisis formed part of a broader attempt to weaken opposition parties and entrench a one-party state, urging Nigerians to defend the country’s multi-party democracy while expressing confidence that the faction would ultimately prevail through legal means.