State chairmen of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, have called on former President Goodluck Jonathan to publicly reject the use of his name by the Kabiru Turaki-led faction of the party.
The appeal follows the decision of the Turaki faction to nominate Jonathan as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election during a special national convention held in Abuja.
Although the former president was absent from the convention, a certificate of return was received on his behalf by Bayelsa lawmaker Fred Agbedi.
The faction later submitted Jonathan’s name manually to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), claiming it was denied access to the commission’s nomination portal.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Monday, Chairman of the Wike-backed PDP State Chairmen’s Forum, Austin Nwachukwu, urged Jonathan to distance himself from what he described as the continued exploitation of his name.
According to him, Jonathan’s silence could create the impression that he supports the activities of the Turaki-led group.
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Nwachukwu said the former president’s reputation and standing in the country make it important for him to clearly state his position and reject any association with the faction.
He also argued that the manual submission of Jonathan’s nomination breached the electoral process and insisted that the Turaki group lacked the authority to act on behalf of the PDP.
The Imo State PDP chairman maintained that Kabiru Turaki and members of the faction’s caretaker committee had been expelled from the party and accused them of presenting themselves as the legitimate leadership despite court decisions to the contrary.
He insisted that the only recognised national leadership of the PDP is headed by National Chairman Abdulrahman Mohammed and National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu.
Nwachukwu further urged the party’s National Working Committee to begin contempt proceedings and take other legal steps against members of the Turaki faction over what he described as impersonation and actions capable of misleading the public.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.