In a major political development ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Kabiru Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has officially adopted former President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan as its sole presidential candidate.
To expedite his candidacy and fast-track opposition consolidation, the party’s leadership granted the former president an automatic screening waiver. The significant waiver cleared him of the traditional rigorous evaluation protocols usually mandatory for all political hopefuls, effectively streamlining his path to the ticket.
The high-stakes endorsement follows a massive logistical screening exercise conducted by a high-profile 14-member committee, which included prominent party stalwarts such as former Vice-President Namadi Sambo, Chief Olabode George, Babangida Aliyu, and former Foreign Affairs Minister Tom Ikimi. Approved at the party’s 104th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, the panel was tasked with evaluating a staggering roster of over 3,000 aspirants across various legislative and executive levels—including 2,122 State House of Assembly, 748 House of Representatives, 198 Senatorial, and 112 Governorship hopefuls.
Jonathan’s emergence as the lone presidential contender under this PDP faction follows his successful digital registration as a formal party member, a process aligned with fresh directives from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). By positioning the former president as their uncontested flagbearer, the Turaki-led faction aims to circumvent costly and polarizing primary frictions. Political analysts suggest that this early alignment—coupled with a looming court judgment regarding his 2027 constitutional eligibility—is a chess move designed to transform Jonathan into a powerful “bridge” candidate capable of uniting diverse regional power blocs to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
