The Tanimu Turaki-led interim national working committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it has submitted the names of its presidential candidate, Goodluck Jonathan, to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The national publicity secretary of the faction, Ini Ememobong, said at a news conference in Abuja on Thursday that in addition to Mr Jonathan, its presidential candidate, the faction also submitted the names of other flag bearers to INEC.

Mr Ememobong said the names were submitted manually following the inability of the faction to have access to INEC’s digital portal.

He said the names of governorship and National Assembly candidates were also submitted, adding that the action was in full compliance with the extant provisions of electoral laws.

“We are pleased to announce that we have successfully submitted manually, and in full compliance with the Electoral Act 2026, the entirety of the list of candidates sponsored by the authentic PDP.

“This is notwithstanding INEC’s refusal to provide us with the necessary access codes, which is an administrative convenience rather than a legal requirement.

“This submission contains the names of our presidential candidate, former President Goodluck Jonathan, as well as all governorship and National Assembly candidates, receipt of which has been duly acknowledged by INEC.

“As part of the electoral timetable, INEC will soon publish the names of candidates sponsored by political parties,” he said.

Mr Ememobong urged the faction’s loyalists not to despair should INEC fail to publish the names of its candidates.

“We are exhausting every constitutional, legal, and democratic avenue to ensure that our party is not hijacked or annexed to the ruling party,” Mr Ememobong said.

He also criticised the electoral umpire, alleging institutional bias against the faction and lack of neutrality in handling issues concerning the opposition party.

“In every matter involving our party, including court proceedings before even the Ibadan convention, INEC officials withheld or failed to acknowledge material facts which they witnessed.

“Congresses monitored by INEC, meetings attended by INEC, were facts that INEC officials suppressed on oath in court and refused to acknowledge.

“Even in subsequent matters, INEC seems to know the internal affairs and the internal organisation of the PDP in favour of one side, more than even normal members of the party,” he said.

Mr Ememobong urged the commission to exercise restraint and wait for the final determination of pending legal disputes before publishing candidate lists.

He equally disclosed that the faction had exercised its constitutional right by filing an appeal at the Court of Appeal against the ruling of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Mr Ememobong expressed dissatisfaction with the judgement delivered by Justice Salim Ibrahim, describing it as inconsistent with earlier decisions of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal.

He recalled that the party had approached the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking an order to compel INEC to recognise the interim NWC, among others.

“The case we went for was for the enforcement of the judgements of the court, not a re-litigation of the issues therefrom.

“Rather than determine the questions relating to the enforcement of those subsisting judgments, my Lord, in his wisdom, but in our interpretation, ventured into issues already settled by these superior courts.

“It is for this reason that we have exercised our constitutional right of appeal, and I can tell you that we have appealed that judgement,” he said.

Mr Ememobong also expressed concerns about the certified true copy of the judgement of the Federal High Court, which he said was released to the party after considerable delay.

“The certified true copy did not fully reflect portions of the judgment that were delivered in open court.

“Therefore, those who were in open court, who heard my Lord, and who have seen the CTC, are beginning to find a way of knowing the convergent and divergent points between what they heard and what they have read,” he said.

He said while the faction was not reading any intentions nor making any interpretations, it was only stating the facts that some extractions had been done.

“Our decision to seek judicial intervention at the Court of Appeal is rooted in the confidence that the Court of Appeal will provide the necessary clarification which will help reclaim the supremacy of the earlier decisions of the higher court,” he said.

Mr Ememobong reaffirmed the faction’s commitment to preserving multi-party democracy in Nigeria and reclaiming the party through legal channels.

“We remain hopeful. With God on our side—not man on our side, not power on our side, not money on our side, but with God on our side, victory is certain.

“We understood from the very beginning that this struggle would be a marathon and not a sprint, and therefore we came adequately prepared for a marathon and not a sprint.

“We remain willing and prepared to endure to the very end, to endure ridicule and harassment,” Mr Ememobong said.

(NAN)