The Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission of allegedly plotting to hijack the party’s structure and replace its presidential candidate, former President Goodluck Jonathan, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The faction also alleged that the electoral commission was working to weaken the opposition and create conditions for a one-party state, warning that any attempt to recognise candidates submitted by rival party leaders would undermine Nigeria’s democratic process.
The allegations were contained in a statement issued on Saturday by the National Publicity Secretary of the party’s Interim National Working Committee, Ini Ememobong.
Ememobong claimed that the party had manually submitted its list of candidates to INEC, including Jonathan as its presidential candidate, after the commission allegedly failed to provide the access codes required for electronic submission.
According to him, the Interim National Working Committee emerged following a Supreme Court judgment which, he said, left the PDP without a legally recognised national leadership.
He explained that the interim leadership was constituted by the party’s Board of Trustees and a member-requisitioned National Executive Committee, adding that the decision was duly communicated to INEC in line with the law.
The party, however, accused the electoral umpire of refusing to recognise the interim leadership despite repeated notifications, forcing it to seek judicial intervention at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Ememobong criticised the judgment delivered by Justice Salim Oluwasupo Ibrahim, describing it as inconsistent with earlier decisions of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal.
He disclosed that the party had already appealed the judgment, insisting that the trial court ventured into issues that had already been settled by superior courts.
The PDP spokesman further alleged irregularities in the release of the Certified True Copy of the judgment, claiming that it was issued after a significant delay and did not completely reflect what was delivered in open court.
According to him, the alleged discrepancies would also be challenged through appropriate legal channels.
The faction equally accused INEC of abandoning its constitutional responsibility of neutrality by allegedly withholding critical facts during court proceedings involving the party.
Ememobong alleged that congresses conducted and monitored by the commission were later denied before the courts because acknowledging them would have weakened INEC’s legal position.
He also accused the commission of repeatedly failing to comply with court orders favourable to the party, saying such actions had reinforced public concerns about the electoral body’s impartiality.
The PDP spokesman further criticised the leadership of INEC, alleging that public confidence in the commission had continued to decline.
He warned the electoral umpire against publishing the names of candidates allegedly submitted by persons the faction described as unauthorised, instead of those nominated by its Interim National Working Committee.
According to him, any responsible electoral management body confronted with conflicting court decisions and a pending appeal should exercise restraint until all legal disputes are resolved.
He maintained that if INEC eventually publishes the names of candidates other than those submitted by the faction, it would further fuel concerns over the commission’s neutrality.
Despite its grievances, the party insisted that it had complied with the Electoral Act 2026 by manually submitting its candidates, including governorship, National Assembly and state House of Assembly nominees, adding that INEC acknowledged receipt of the documents.
The faction urged its members and supporters not to lose confidence if the commission eventually publishes a different list of candidates, assuring them that it would continue to pursue legal and constitutional remedies.
Ememobong described any attempt to weaken opposition political parties as a threat to Nigeria’s democracy, warning that elections would lose credibility if citizens no longer trusted the neutrality of the country’s electoral umpire.
As of the time of filing this report, INEC had yet to respond to the allegations raised by the Turaki-led PDP faction.
The commission has also not publicly commented on the party’s claim that it submitted former President Goodluck Jonathan’s name as its presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
'
'Do you want to share a story with us? Do you want to advertise with us? Do you need publicity for a product, service, or event? Contact us on WhatsApp +2348183319097 Email: platformtimes@gmail.com
We are committed to impactful investigative journalism for human interest and social justice. Your donation will help us tell more stories. Kindly donate any amount HERE
