INEC Rejects Jonathan's Candidacy as Turaki-Led PDP Insists on Manual Submission

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rejected the presidential nomination of former President Goodluck Jonathan submitted by the Kabiru Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), insisting that the submission did not comply with the commission's prescribed nomination procedure. The development marks the latest twist in the prolonged leadership dispute within Nigeria's main opposition party.

The Turaki-led faction had earlier announced that it manually submitted Jonathan's nomination and the names of its other candidates after alleging that INEC denied it access to the commission's online candidate nomination portal. According to the faction's spokesperson, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the manual submission was made in compliance with the Electoral Act after repeated attempts to obtain the required portal access codes proved unsuccessful.

INEC, however, dismissed the claim, maintaining that it does not recognise the Turaki-led leadership as the authorised officials of the PDP. The commission stated that only recognised party executives with valid access credentials can submit candidates through its official nomination portal, adding that any manual submission made outside the prescribed process has no legal effect.

Despite the rejection, the Turaki faction insisted that its action was lawful and accused INEC of denying it equal participation in the electoral process. The group argued that the commission's refusal to provide portal access effectively prevented it from using the electronic nomination system, leaving manual submission as the only available option. It also warned against recognising any alternative list of candidates submitted by rival factions of the party.

The controversy further deepens the PDP's internal leadership crisis, with rival factions continuing to contest control of the party's structure ahead of the 2027 general elections. The dispute has already triggered multiple court cases and conflicting claims over the authority to nominate candidates for elective offices, raising fresh uncertainty over the party's preparations for the polls.