State chairmen of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday called on former President Goodluck Jonathan to publicly distance himself from the Dr. Tanimu Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee (INWC), which has continued to present him as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election. The appeal was made during a press briefing in Abuja, where the chairmen insisted that the PDP has only one recognised leadership.
The Chairman of the PDP State Chairmen’s Forum and Imo State PDP Chairman, Austin Nwachukwu, said the party’s legitimate leadership is the National Working Committee headed by Abdulrahman Mohammed.He explained that this leadership is the one recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and is responsible for the official nomination of the party’s candidates for the 2027 general election.
According to the forum, while the Turaki-led group submitted Jonathan’s name and a list of National Assembly candidates manually after it failed to obtain the required electronic access code, the recognised National Working Committee successfully uploaded the names of its presidential candidate, Senator Sandy Onor, and other candidates through INEC’s official portal.
The chairmen also pointed to the final list of presidential candidates released by INEC, noting that Jonathan’s name was not included. They said this confirms that the electoral commission does not recognise him as the PDP’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
The forum urged Jonathan to publicly disassociate himself from the activities of the Turaki-led group, saying continued use of his name could create confusion among party members and the public. The chairmen argued that remaining silent over the matter could affect his reputation and the image he built during and after his time in office.
They further accused the Turaki-led committee of presenting false claims about court judgments and creating the impression that there are two recognised factions within the PDP. The forum called on security agencies to investigate the allegations and prosecute anyone found to have violated the law.
The state chairmen also appealed to the recognised National Working Committee to begin legal action against the Turaki-led group. In addition, they asked the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to review the continued use of a building in the Garki area of Abuja where the group reportedly holds its meetings, claiming that the activities taking place there could threaten public peace.
The forum maintained that Abdulrahman Mohammed remains the only recognised National Chairman of the PDP. It urged party members, supporters and the general public to disregard any group or individual claiming to represent another leadership of the party, insisting that only the recognised National Working Committee has the authority to act on behalf of the PDP.