Turaki-Led PDP Accuses INEC of Bias Over Jonathan’s Candidacy

A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Tanimu Turaki, on Friday accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of acting with bias in the handling of its leadership dispute and the submission of candidates for the 2027 general election.

The group made the allegation in Abuja while addressing journalists, insisting that it had validly submitted former President Goodluck Jonathan as its presidential candidate alongside its governorship, National Assembly and State Assembly candidates through a manual process after INEC allegedly failed to provide the electronic access codes required for online submission.

Speaking on behalf of the faction, Interim National Working Committee spokesman Ini Ememobong said the party followed the provisions of the Electoral Act in submitting its candidates manually. He maintained that the refusal of the electoral body to provide access codes did not invalidate the submission because electronic access was only an administrative arrangement and not a legal requirement.

The faction said it turned to the courts after INEC declined to recognise its interim leadership, which it said was put in place by the party’s Board of Trustees and a member-requisitioned National Executive Committee following the Supreme Court judgment that, according to the group, left the PDP without a recognised National Working Committee.

Although the Federal High Court dismissed its request to compel INEC to recognise the interim leadership, the faction said it had appealed the judgment and remained hopeful that the Court of Appeal would overturn the decision.

It also claimed there were differences between the judgment delivered in court and the Certified True Copy later released, adding that the issue would be addressed through the legal process.

The group warned that if INEC publishes candidates submitted by another faction instead of those it claimed were validly nominated, it would deepen public doubts about the commission’s neutrality. It urged its members and supporters not to lose hope if such a situation arises, insisting it would continue to pursue every constitutional and legal option available.

The faction also accused INEC of failing to act as an impartial electoral body during the leadership dispute. It alleged that the commission ignored party congresses it monitored and withheld material facts during court proceedings, actions it claimed affected the outcome of the case.

According to the group, the dispute goes beyond an internal party crisis and concerns the protection of Nigeria’s democratic process. It argued that weakening opposition parties would reduce political competition and damage public confidence in elections.

The leadership crisis within the PDP has continued since judicial decisions affected the party’s National Working Committee. Following those rulings, the Board of Trustees and a member-requisitioned National Executive Committee announced an Interim National Working Committee to oversee the party, but INEC has yet to recognise it.

Despite the dispute, the faction said it had completed the manual submission of all its candidates for the 2027 elections and expressed confidence that the courts would eventually rule in its favour. It also called on INEC to wait for the outcome of the appeal before taking any action on the party’s list of candidates.