Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), will on Saturday unveiled former President Goodluck Jonathan as it’s presidential candidate for 2027 election.
The unveiling will be done at the party’s Special National Convention.
The event is scheduled to take place at the ‘A’ Class Event Centre on Kassim Ibrahim Way, Wuse 2, Abuja, from 10am.
According to an invitation published by the party’s spokesman, Ini Ememobong, and National Organising Secretary, Theophilus Dakas Shan, the gathering is intended to finalise Jonathan’s emergence as the party’s standard-bearer.
The notice described the meeting as a “Special National Convention for the Ratification of the Nomination of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR as the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party.”
The planned ratification follows a series of political moves by the Kabiru Turaki-led faction aimed at presenting Jonathan for the 2027 presidential race.
On May 19, the faction’s screening committee approved a waiver for the former president and cleared him as the sole aspirant for the ticket.
Chairman of the screening panel and former Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu, said the decision was based on Jonathan’s long political experience, having served as deputy governor, governor, vice president and president.
The faction subsequently conducted its presidential primary on Wednesday ahead of the ratification convention slated for Saturday.
Though, this is coming after a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday affirmed Jonathan’s eligibility to contest the 2027 presidential election, a judgment welcomed by the Turaki-led PDP faction.
Justice Peter Lifu ruled that the plaintiffseeking to stop Jonathan from contesting lacked the legal standing to institute the suit because no personal injury or loss had been established.
The court further observed that both the Federal High Court in Yenagoa and the Court of Appeal had earlier upheld Jonathan’s eligibility to run, describing the suit as an abuse of court process.
While reacting to the judgment, the faction maintained that laws could not operate retroactively and characterised the suit as vexatious and a gross abuse of court processes.
It added that the court ruling, alongside the waiver earlier granted to Jonathan, had paved the way for his participation in the presidential primary.
Jonathan, however, has yet to publicly accept the nomination or formally declare his intention to contest the presidency in 2027.
During a recent meeting with youth groups in Abuja who appealed to him to join the race, the former president said he was still consulting before making a decision.
“Presidential race is not a computer game. But I’ve heard you and I’ll consult widely,” he said.
Jonathan also reiterated his position at the end of the meeting, stressing that he would not rush into declaring his ambition.
“I will consult. I cannot just wake up and say I want to be the president of Nigeria again. But I am telling you that I will consult. If there is a need to, I will wait,” he stated.
