INEC Rejects Jonathan’s 2027 Nomination as PDP Faction Insists Manual Submission Is Valid

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rejected the 2027 presidential nomination of former President Goodluck Jonathan submitted by a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, insisting that nominations for the general election can only be made through its designated electronic portal.

The development marks another chapter in the PDP’s prolonged leadership crisis, with the Turaki-led faction maintaining that it lawfully submitted Jonathan’s nomination and the names of its governorship, National Assembly and state assembly candidates through a manual process after allegedly being denied access to INEC’s online nomination platform.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, the faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, said the group complied with the provisions of the Electoral Act by physically submitting its candidates’ list to the electoral commission.

According to the faction, INEC refused to issue the access codes required to upload candidates electronically, leaving it with no option but to submit the documents manually. The group argued that its submission should be regarded as valid despite the commission’s refusal to recognize it.

INEC, however, dismissed the claim, reiterating that all political parties are required to submit candidates exclusively through the commission’s electronic nomination portal.

The commission’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Ita-Messi, said she could not confirm that any manual submission had been accepted but stressed that the established procedure does not recognize manual filing of candidates’ names. She added that compliance with the electronic submission process is mandatory for all political parties.

The disagreement further exposes the deep divisions within the PDP as rival factions continue to battle for control of the party ahead of the 2027 general election.

The Turaki-led camp insists it represents the authentic PDP leadership, while the dispute over recognition and candidate nomination remains unresolved. Political analysts say the latest standoff could complicate the party’s preparations for the elections if the internal crisis is not settled quickly.

The controversy is expected to generate legal challenges over which faction, if any, has the authority to nominate candidates on behalf of the PDP.

Election law experts note that the courts may ultimately determine issues relating to party leadership and the validity of nominations should the dispute persist. For now, INEC has maintained that only candidates submitted through its official electronic portal will be recognized for the 2027 elections.

As of Saturday, neither Jonathan nor his representatives had publicly commented on the rejection of the nomination submitted by the Turaki-led faction.

The latest development leaves uncertainty over whether the former president will feature in the 2027 presidential race under the PDP or whether the party’s internal dispute will be resolved before the electoral process advances further.