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Fresh controversy has erupted within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following allegations by the Tanimu Turaki-led faction that attempts were being made to frustrate its planned special convention in Abuja aimed at ratifying former President Goodluck Jonathan as the party’s presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 presidential elections.
The development h as further exposed widening cracks within the opposition party, as Wike-backed PDP led by Abdurahman Mohammed is distancing itself from the proposed gathering and dismissing it as unauthorised.
In a statement issued Friday in Abuja by the National Publicity Secretary of the Interim National Working Committee (INWC), Comrade Ini Ememobong, the Turaki-led camp alleged that the management of the proposed venue for the event had informed the party of alleged threats concerning the use of the facility.
According to the statement, the party had fulfilled all necessary conditions for the use of the venue, including payment and notification to relevant security agencies.
“We have been informed by the proprietors of the Event Centre of the threat by the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, to shut down their business premises if the Peoples Democratic Party is allowed to use their hall for our presidential candidate ratification ceremonies.
“We state here, and for the record, that we had furnished consideration in full to consummate the earlier offer and acceptance. Furthermore, we had duly notified all relevant security agencies about the event. We have directed our lawyers to write, reminding the Event Centre of these facts,” the statement said.
The Turaki-led INWC maintained that the convention would proceed as planned.
“Having satisfied these requirements, we reiterate that the special convention to ratify the presidential candidature of President Goodluck Jonathan will hold as scheduled on Saturday, 30th May, 2026, in Abuja.
“We are certain that Nigeria is a country governed by law, and any attempt to use force to suppress political dissent and opposition is an aberration which must be resisted by all people of good conscience.
“There is nowhere in our laws where the Minister of the FCT is empowered to determine events that should be held and where they should be held. Such limitless powers are strange to a democratic republic, but available and operational only under an emperor – a title that President Tinubu has been struggling to deny,” it added.
The convention had earlier been announced by the Turaki-led leadership as a special national gathering to formally ratify the nomination of former President Jonathan for the 2026 presidential race.
The notice for the proposed event was jointly signed by Comrade Ini Ememobong and the National Organising Secretary, Hon. Theophilus Dakas Shan, indicating that the convention would take place in Abuja on Saturday, May 30, 2026.
However, Wike-backed PDP led by Mohammed swiftly rejected the exercise, insisting that no such convention had been approved by the recognised leadership structures of the party.
In a separate statement issued Friday in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, the PDP described reports surrounding the convention as misleading and unauthorised.
“The attention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been drawn to misleading information and unfounded reports circulating in certain quarters regarding an alleged planned convention aimed at affirming former President, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR, as the presidential candidate of the PDP.
“The Party wishes to categorically state that no such convention, meeting, or process has been scheduled, approved, or endorsed by the leadership or any recognised organ of the Peoples Democratic Party,” the statement read.
The PDP urged party members and supporters to disregard the reports, maintaining that all party primaries had already been concluded in line with electoral guidelines.
“It is important for the avoidance of doubt to state that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has successfully concluded all its primary elections, including those for Governorship, State Houses of Assembly, National Assembly, and the Presidential election primaries in accordance with INEC guidelines, the provisions of the Electoral Act and the Constitution of the Party.
“All such exercises across the country were peacefully conducted and properly monitored and supervised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),” it stated.
The PDP further called on former President Jonathan to publicly distance himself from the development.
“In view of this development, we respectfully call on former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to publicly dissociate himself from this charade to protect the integrity of the democratic process and preserve the credibility he earned while serving the nation.
“We also call on relevant security agencies to swiftly investigate the source of these false reports and take appropriate action against the perpetrators whose motive is nothing but to create political tension in the country.
“The PDP will henceforth not fold its arms and allow the Party to be dragged into disrepute through falsehood, misinformation, and unauthorised political activities aimed at undermining its integrity and democratic structures,” the statement added.
The PDP reaffirmed its commitment to due process, internal democracy and constitutional order in all party activities, while advising members of the public to rely only on official communications issued by authorised officials of the party.
