Turaki-Led PDP Says Jonathan's Name Was Submitted Manually After INEC Denied Portal Access

The faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by former Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Turaki (SAN), has claimed that it was forced to submit the name of former President Goodluck Jonathan manually after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) allegedly denied the group access to its candidate nomination portal.

Speaking at a press briefing, leaders of the Turaki-led faction said repeated attempts to upload Jonathan's name through INEC's online nomination portal were unsuccessful despite complying with the commission's requirements. According to the group, the technical restriction left them with no option but to physically submit the nomination documents to INEC before the deadline.

The faction maintained that the manual submission was carried out in accordance with electoral regulations and insisted that the commission had a duty to receive the documents. It argued that denying access to the nomination portal undermined the party's ability to participate fully in the electoral process and raised concerns about fairness and transparency.

Party officials further alleged that the difficulties encountered were not caused by any failure on their part but by circumstances beyond their control. They urged INEC to recognise the manually submitted documents and ensure that all political parties are treated equally, regardless of internal leadership disputes.

The development comes amid the ongoing leadership crisis within the PDP, with rival factions laying claim to the party's national structure and authority to nominate candidates. The internal divisions have continued to generate legal and political battles, creating uncertainty over the party's preparations for future elections.

INEC has yet to issue an official response to the allegations at the time of filing this report. The electoral commission has consistently maintained that its nomination portal is the official platform for submitting candidates and has urged political parties to comply with its established procedures.