The internal crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) escalated on Friday after the Kabiru Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee (INWC) announced that it had submitted former President Goodluck Jonathan's presidential nomination and the party's list of candidates for the 2027 general election to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The faction said the documents were submitted manually after INEC allegedly refused to issue the access codes required for electronic submission because it does not recognise the committee as the party's leadership.
Briefing journalists, the faction's National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, insisted that the Electoral Act 2026 permits manual submission and that the party fully complied with all legal requirements.
He said the documents submitted covered the presidential candidate, governorship candidates, as well as nominees for the Senate, House of Representatives and state Houses of Assembly.
According to Ememobong, INEC acknowledged receipt of the documents despite the disagreement over the committee's status.
He warned the electoral commission against recognising or publishing the names of candidates submitted by any other faction of the party, saying such a move would be challenged in court.
"We have lawfully submitted the authentic PDP candidates in accordance with the Electoral Act. Any attempt to publish another list will be resisted through every constitutional and legal means available," he said.
The spokesman maintained that the Interim National Working Committee emerged following the Supreme Court's decision on the party's leadership, which he said created a vacuum in the PDP's national structure.
He explained that the party's Board of Trustees and a duly convened National Executive Committee meeting subsequently constituted the interim leadership to oversee the affairs of the party.
Ememobong accused INEC of rejecting the committee despite being formally notified of its emergence, prompting the faction to institute legal proceedings.
He also criticised a recent Federal High Court judgment on the matter, arguing that it conflicted with earlier rulings of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal.
The faction disclosed that it had filed an appeal against the judgment and would also seek legal clarification over what it described as inconsistencies between the court's pronouncement and the Certified True Copy of the judgment.
The PDP spokesman further accused INEC of failing to maintain neutrality in handling the party's affairs, alleging that the commission ignored congresses it monitored and withheld key facts during litigation involving the party.
He argued that such actions had fuelled concerns about the independence of the electoral umpire.
Ememobong also claimed that the PDP was facing a coordinated effort to weaken opposition parties ahead of the 2027 elections, warning that the country's multi-party democracy was under threat.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant in defence of democratic principles, expressing optimism that the judiciary would ultimately uphold the party's position.
The latest development is expected to intensify the leadership tussle within the PDP as rival camps continue to battle for recognition ahead of the 2027 general election.
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