PDP Faction To Ratify Jonathan As 2027 Presidential Candidate Saturday

A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party will hold a special national convention in Abuja on Saturday to officially confirm former President Goodluck Jonathan as its presidential candidate for the 2027 election.

The event is scheduled to take place at the A-Class Event Centre in Wuse 2, Abuja, beginning at 10 a.m. Party officials said the gathering is part of the process to finalise Jonathan’s emergence as the faction’s flag bearer ahead of the next general election.

The invitation for the convention was signed by the faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, and National Organising Secretary, Theophilus Dakas Shan. According to the notice, delegates and party members are expected to attend the meeting where Jonathan’s nomination will be formally approved.

The move follows earlier actions taken by the Kabiru Turaki-led faction of the PDP to prepare the former president for the race. Earlier this month, the faction’s screening committee granted Jonathan a waiver and cleared him as the only aspirant seeking the party’s presidential ticket.

Former Niger State governor Babangida Aliyu, who chaired the screening panel, said the decision was based on Jonathan’s long record in public office, including his service as deputy governor, governor, vice president, and president.

The faction also conducted a presidential primary on Wednesday before fixing Saturday for the final ratification process.

Jonathan’s possible return to the presidential race gained more attention after a Federal High Court in Abuja ruled earlier this week that he is qualified to contest the 2027 election. Justice Peter Lifu dismissed a suit seeking to stop the former president from participating in the poll.

The court ruled that the plaintiff lacked the legal right to file the case because there was no direct injury suffered from Jonathan’s possible ambition. The judge also noted that previous judgments from courts in Yenagoa and the Court of Appeal had already affirmed Jonathan’s eligibility to run.

Members of the PDP faction welcomed the ruling and described it as a legal confirmation that nothing stops the former president from taking part in the election process.

Despite the growing political activities around his name, Jonathan has not publicly declared his intention to contest the presidency. Earlier this month, when some youth groups visited him in Abuja to urge him to join the race, the former president said he would continue consulting before making any decision.

Jonathan, who led Nigeria from 2010 to 2015, lost his re-election bid to former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 and later conceded defeat peacefully.

As of Thursday evening, the former president had yet to officially accept the nomination or publicly confirm his participation in the 2027 presidential contest.