Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has firmly rejected the presidential nomination of former President Goodluck Jonathan, submitted by the Kabiru Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), insisting that all candidate submissions must be made through its designated electronic portal. The decision, announced on Saturday, August 1, 2026, has deepened the leadership crisis within the opposition party and set the stage for a protracted legal battle over the validity of the faction's candidates for the 2027 general elections.
The Turaki-led faction had announced on Friday, July 31, that it had manually submitted Jonathan's name alongside those of its governorship, National Assembly, and state assembly candidates to INEC, after the commission allegedly denied it access to the electronic nomination platform. The faction's National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, told journalists that the group was left with no choice but to resort to manual submission following INEC's refusal to release the access codes required for electronic filing. "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 declared.
However, INEC's Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, swiftly dismissed the faction's claim, stating that the commission does not accept nominations outside its designated electronic channel. "Submission is only done on a dedicated portal as stipulated by our regulations and guidelines," she told Saturday Vanguard. The commission's position effectively shuts the door on the nomination submitted by the Turaki faction and raises fresh questions about the validity of the candidates presented by the group.
The Turaki-led faction has accused INEC of institutional bias and of abandoning its constitutional neutrality in handling the PDP leadership dispute. Ememobong alleged that the commission had withheld material facts during court proceedings involving the party and disregarded congresses it had monitored. He warned INEC against publishing any list of candidates different from those submitted by his group, vowing to explore every available legal option to protect the party's structure. "Should the Commission publish names other than those lawfully submitted by us, we are exhausting every constitutional, legal and democratic avenue to ensure that our Party is not hijacked or annexed to the ruling party," he said.
The crisis within the PDP stems from a leadership dispute that has polarised the party into two factions. The faction backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has been recognised by INEC and had earlier uploaded the names of its presidential, vice-presidential, and National Assembly candidates to the commission's nomination portal. The Turaki-led faction, however, insists that it is the authentic leadership of the party, following what it describes as a Supreme Court judgment that left the PDP without a legally recognised national leadership. According to the faction, the party's Board of Trustees and a member-requisitioned National Executive Committee meeting established the interim National Working Committee to fill the leadership vacuum.
The legal battle over the PDP leadership has been ongoing for months. On July 17, 2026, a Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed a suit instituted by the party's Board of Trustees seeking to compel INEC to recognise the Turaki-led interim National Working Committee. The Turaki faction has since appealed the judgment and expressed confidence that the Court of Appeal would overturn the decision. Ememobong criticised the High Court ruling, arguing that it contradicted earlier decisions of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, which, according to the faction, formed the basis of its case. "The judgment reads more like an appeal on the judgments of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal. It is clearly inconsistent with the extant decisions of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal that form the foundation of our case," he said.
The faction has also alleged irregularities in the release of the Certified True Copy of the judgment, claiming that portions of the document did not fully reflect what was delivered in open court. Ememobong accused INEC of failing to maintain neutrality in matters concerning the PDP, alleging that the electoral body had repeatedly ignored material facts and court orders favourable to the party. "The Commission's filings, its arguments before the courts, and its refusal to comply with court orders favourable to our party have collectively created an impression of institutional bias that should concern every Nigerian," he said.
The rejection of Jonathan's nomination by INEC marks a significant setback for the former president's political ambitions. Jonathan, who served as Nigeria's president from 2010 to 2015, has been floated as a potential presidential candidate by the Turaki faction, which has been seeking to build a coalition of opposition forces ahead of the 2027 elections. However, with INEC refusing to recognise the faction's submission, Jonathan's path to the ballot box remains uncertain.
The PDP's leadership crisis has been a source of concern for the opposition, with both factions accusing each other of undermining the party's chances in the 2027 elections. The Wike-backed faction has rejected the Turaki group's nomination of Jonathan, describing the move as "illegal and worthless." Meanwhile, the Turaki faction has warned that the PDP's troubles are part of a wider design to cripple opposition parties and entrench one-party dominance in the country. "We were the pioneer target for opposition dismantling and capture, but it has now spread to almost all the opposition parties," Ememobong said, calling on Nigerians to rise in defence of multi-party democracy.
As the legal battle continues, the fate of the Turaki faction's candidates hangs in the balance. The faction has insisted that it will pursue all legal and constitutional remedies to ensure that its candidates are recognised by INEC. However, with the commission standing firm on its position that nominations must be submitted electronically, the faction faces an uphill battle. The coming weeks and months are likely to see further legal wrangling as both sides dig in for a prolonged struggle over the soul of the PDP and the future of Nigeria's opposition politics.
The rejection of Jonathan's candidacy also raises broader questions about the integrity of Nigeria's electoral process and the role of INEC in mediating internal party disputes. Critics have argued that the commission's decision to recognise one faction over another risks undermining public confidence in its impartiality. Others, however, have defended INEC's stance, arguing that it is bound by its regulations and guidelines, which require electronic submission of candidate lists. As the 2027 elections draw closer, the resolution of the PDP leadership crisis will be critical to the party's chances of mounting a credible challenge to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
For now, the Turaki-led faction has made it clear that it will not back down. Ememobong expressed optimism that the courts would ultimately resolve the leadership dispute in the faction's favour, declaring that its members were prepared to continue the legal battle to the end. "We are exhausting every constitutional, legal and democratic avenue to ensure that our Party is not hijacked or annexed to the ruling party," he said. The coming months will determine whether the faction's faith in the judicial process is justified or whether its candidates will be shut out of the 2027 elections.
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