The Kabiru Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Saturday, affirmed former President Goodluck Jonathan as its presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 election.

Spokesperson for the party faction’s Interim National Working Committee (INWC), Ini Ememobong, said in a statement on Saturday that the ratification was made despite moves by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to stop the special convention billed for 10 a.m. at the A-Class Park and Event Centre in Abuja from holding.

Following the threat by Mr Wike on Friday to revoke the title documents of event centres and hotels that allow political groups not formally recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to hold events, the management of the facility cancelled the booking.

According to Mr Ememobong, vans filled with policemen also blocked the roads leading to the venue from 7:00 p.m. on Friday to ensure that the special convention did not hold.

However, the event held at a private apartment in Abuja. 

He said, “The management of the event centre called to cancel the booking, citing an invitation and threat from the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, that their certificate of occupancy would be revoked and their event centre demolished if the PDP event was allowed to hold there.

“We reminded them of the subsisting contract with us and insisted that the event must go on as planned. The Federal Capital Territory Administration doubled down by issuing a statement conveying the threats of revocation of the titles of business premises hosting events considered by them as unlawful.

“As if that was not enough, by 7 p.m. on Friday, 29th May, more than 20 truckloads of policemen were deployed to block the entire road where the event centre is located, forcing motorists to drive against traffic.”

Mr Ememobong stated that, due to the development, the special convention was cancelled after an emergency meeting later in the day involving all organs of the party — the Board of Trustees, members of the INWC, members of the National Executive Committee, state chairmen, governorship and National Assembly candidates, and other stakeholders.

He said that at the emergency meeting, it was decided that, “Considering the very passionate appeal by elder statesmen, the party aborted the earlier plan to resist the security occupation of the event centre and forcefully use the venue for the ceremonies.

“Since the main activity of the day is the affirmation of President Goodluck Jonathan, the stakeholders continued with the plan and President Goodluck Jonathan was unanimously affirmed, after a motion was duly moved and seconded, as the presidential candidate and flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party for the 2027 presidential election. Furthermore, the formal presentation and flag-giving ceremonies will be slated subsequently.”

Condemning what it described as the brazen use of unchecked power by Mr Wike, which the faction claimed had the “obvious support” of President Bola Tinubu, it argued that, if left unchecked, a full-blown dictatorship could emerge in the country and eventually lead to the collapse of democracy.

The Turaki-led PDP faction also wondered why the “shameful oppression” was not meted out to other political parties with similar leadership issues, which were freely allowed to conduct their conventions without threats from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).