INEC rejects Goodluck Jonathan's presidential nomination submitted by PDP faction

Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has refused to accept a presidential nomination for former President Goodluck Jonathan. The nomination was submitted by a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Kabiru Turaki, who insisted on a manual submission of candidates for the 2027 general election.

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Submission is only done on a dedicated portal as stipulated by our regulations and guidelines please.

INEC's Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, clarified that the commission only accepts nominations via its designated electronic portal, adhering to its regulations and guidelines. "Submission is only done on a dedicated portal as stipulated by our regulations and guidelines please," she stated.

However, the Turaki-led faction, through its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, claimed they opted for manual submission because INEC denied them access codes for electronic filing. Ememobong asserted that their manual submission, which included Jonathan's presidential nomination and other candidates, fully complied with the Electoral Act 2026 and had been acknowledged by INEC.

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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 warned INEC against publishing any list that differs from their submission, threatening to pursue all legal avenues to protect the party's structure. He argued that the party's interim leadership, formed after a Supreme Court judgment, was not being recognized by INEC, pushing them to seek judicial intervention. He also criticized a recent Federal High Court judgment, deeming it an attempt to relitigate established legal matters.

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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.