THE faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Kabiru Turaki has announced former President Goodluck Jonathan as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
Jonathan’s nomination was ratified on Saturday during a special national convention held at the faction’s secretariat in Area 10, Garki, Abuja.
Although the former president was absent from the event, his certificate of return was received on his behalf by Fred Agbedi, a member of the House of Representatives representing Bayelsa State.
The Turaki-led faction had scheduled the convention to take place at the A-Class Park and Event Centre in Abuja. However, the venue was changed following a directive by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), which warned hotel and event centre operators against hosting activities of political groups not recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Earlier on Saturday, security operatives blocked access roads leading to the A-Class Park and Event Centre, prompting organisers to relocate the convention to the party’s office in Area 10.
According to the Cable, party officials later confirmed that the event was successfully concluded at the new venue, noting that a date for the formal presentation of the party’s presidential flag to Jonathan would be announced in the coming weeks.
INEC currently recognises the PDP leadership backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The ICIR reported that the former president has yet to publicly respond to the nomination or indicate whether he will accept the candidature.
Jonathan, who served as Nigeria’s president from 2010 to 2015, has repeatedly been linked with various presidential comeback efforts since leaving office but has largely avoided making definitive public declarations about future electoral ambitions.
Should he contest, he would face several contenders, including President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC), and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.