A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has declared former President Goodluck Jonathan as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, despite his absence from the screening process and without any public indication that he had sought the party’s nomination.

The declaration was made by a faction of the PDP led by former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki. According to reports, the faction’s screening committee, chaired by former Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu, announced Jonathan’s emergence after granting him a waiver and clearing him for the race even though he did not appear before the committee.

The move has generated controversy within the opposition party, which has been grappling with internal leadership disputes and competing factions.

The Turaki-led group had also scheduled a special convention in Abuja aimed at formally ratifying the nomination of former President Goodluck Jonathan as the PDP’s candidate for the 2027 presidential election. Invitations circulated by the faction described the gathering as a convention for the ratification of Jonathan’s nomination.

However, another PDP faction rejected the move, describing reports of Jonathan’s endorsement as false, misleading and unauthorised. In a statement issued by National Publicity Secretary Jungudo Mohammed, the faction distanced itself from the planned convention and called on security agencies to investigate those behind the reports.

The statement also urged Jonathan to publicly dissociate himself from the process in order to protect both his reputation and the integrity of the democratic process.

There has been no public response from Jonathan regarding the declaration, and there is no evidence that the former president purchased nomination forms or formally entered the race. Reports indicated that he neither attended the screening exercise nor publicly endorsed the faction’s actions.

The developments underscore the ongoing leadership and legitimacy disputes within the PDP as political parties begin positioning ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general election.