The Kabiru Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has declared former President Goodluck Jonathan as its candidate for the 2027 presidential election. Former Niger State Governor and chairman of the faction’s screening committee, Babangida Aliyu, made the declaration on Tuesday, despite Jonathan’s absence from the screening exercise held on Monday.
Members of the committee had left the venue of the screening around 4 p.m. after waiting for hours for the former president to appear.
Aliyu told journalists that the party waived the screening requirement for Jonathan, citing his experience as a former deputy governor, governor, vice president and president, and subsequently declared him the party’s flagbearer for 2027.
The faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, had earlier said Jonathan completed his membership registration through the party’s digital platform in line with INEC guidelines.
The PDP faction also noted that Jonathan would be screened as a sole presidential aspirant alongside hundreds of other candidates contesting various elective positions, including the House of Representatives, Senate and governorship seats.
In a statement on its Facebook page, the party listed members of the screening committee, including former Vice President Namadi Sambo, former Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang and former Foreign Affairs Minister Tom Ikimi, among others.
