The Tanimu Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee (INWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has ratified former President Goodluck Jonathan as its sole presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.
The decision was reached on Saturday during a special national convention held at the faction’s office in Area 10, Abuja.
This followed the barricading of the venue earlier scheduled for the event, A-Class Event Centre, Wuse 2, Abuja, by personnel of the Nigeria Police Force.
The Federal Capital Territory office under the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, had threatened to revoke the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) of any event centre or hotel that allows its premises to be used by an ‘illegal organisation’.
The motion for Jonathan’s ratification was moved by the Chairman of the Forum of PDP State Chairmen, Dr Tony Aziegbemi, and seconded by Sen. Sani Daggash.
Following a unanimous “yes” vote by the delegates present, the certificate of return for the former president was presented to Fred Agbedi, the Leader of the PDP Caucus in the House of Representatives.
Speaking earlier as the Chairman of the Special Convention, Prof. Jerry Gana, expressed sadness over the heavy deployment of security forces to the venue initially fixed for the convention.
Gana recalled how he, the late Elder Statesman, Dr Alex Ekwueme and Sen. Abraham Adesanya, during the 1998 transition to democracy, negotiated with the military government to ensure the electoral umpire’s independence.
He said the negotiation was mediated by the then UN Secretary-General, Dr Kofi Annan.
“I am sad that after so many years of development in Nigeria, we are still being reduced to this under democracy.
“The first thing we said then was that we were not going to be part of the transition programme unless the electoral commission became independent.
“Unfortunately, is today’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) independent?” Gana asked.
He praised the delegates for their courage in defying intimidation to attend the convention, stating that their presence was a defence of democracy and good governance.
“We were supposed to be having a special convention in a well-organised place, but now the police have taken over the whole area. Are we back under military rule? No!
“They don’t want us to have a presidential candidate, but fortunately, this chairman is wise and dogged,” Gana said.
Gana, however, said that the convention had beaten the manoeuvres of detractors, noting that under the law, “an injunction cannot lie against a completed act.”
Moving the motion for ratification, Dr Tony Aziegbemi stated that the state chairmen had conducted free, fair, and credible primaries in their respective states, which culminated in the adoption of Jonathan.
“I salute your courage in spite of the intimidation.
“I have the singular honour and privilege to move a motion on behalf of all the state chairmen that, having adopted former President Jonathan as our sole presidential candidate, this special convention do ratify the motion,” Aziegbemi said.
Seconding the motion, Sen. Sani Daggash lamented that individuals who were built up by the PDP over the years had turned against the party.
“We are now challenged by the same people we developed over the years and put in critical positions, to the extent that today they are anti-PDP.
“But we stand confidently here representing the nationwide network of the party,” Dagash said.
In her remarks, a party chieftain, Dr Esther Uduehi, speaking on behalf of the PDP founding leadership, described the choice of Jonathan as the best for the party.
She described Jonathan as a man who needs no marketing because his track record speaks for him.
“A quintessential gentleman, an international figure.
“As of today, you know he goes from country to country. Yes, he has been appointed by the international community, the UN and so on, going to make peace all over. A man of credibility,” Uduehi said.
The Chairman of the INWC, Turaki, while speaking with newsmen shortly after the event, said that the ratification of Jonathan was in line with the judgement of the Supreme Court on the party’s leadership crisis.
Turaki also said that INEC had been informed of the process, adding that the commission is aware of the convocation of the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting by members of the party.
“The chairman of INEC is a professor of law and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria who wouldn’t need anybody to explain the content and impact of the various judgements of the courts to him.
“We are confident that things will be done properly and as soon as possible,” Turaki said.
The INWC National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, in an interview regarding the silence on the part of Jonathan and his absence at the ratification, said the former president had not denied the endorsement.
He described Jonathan’s silence as strategic, noting that the party’s flag would be presented to him at another event very soon.
On the faction’s engagement with INEC, Ememobong said it was a work in progress.
“Even on the INEC side, you do know that there are people whose names are there who are not what they claim to be. So, INEC is not infallible. We are working towards resolving that,” he said.
