PDP faction plans convention to nominate Goodluck Jonathan

A faction of Nigeria's Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is scheduled to hold a special convention in Abuja on Saturday to formally ratify former President Goodluck Jonathan as its presidential candidate for the 2027 election. The move by the group, led by former minister Kabiru Turaki, has been denounced by the party's recognized national leadership as false and unauthorized.

The convention is set to take place at an event center in the Wuse area of the capital. According to an invitation signed by the faction's National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, and National Organising Secretary, Theophilus Dakas Shan, the gathering is intended for the ratification of Jonathan's nomination. This follows a sequence of actions by the Turaki-led group, which on May 19 granted Jonathan a waiver from its screening process and cleared him as its sole presidential aspirant. A former governor, Babangida Aliyu, explained that Jonathan's extensive political record, having served as deputy governor, governor, vice president, and president, made further screening unnecessary.

However, the former president has not publicly accepted the nomination or confirmed his intention to run. When visited by...