The state chairmen of the Peoples Democratic Party have called on former President Goodluck Jonathan to publicly dissociate himself from the Dr. Tanimu Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee, following the group’s claim that he is the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
Addressing journalists at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, Chairman of the PDP State Chairmen’s Forum and Imo State PDP Chairman, Austin Nwachukwu, urged Jonathan to prevent the continued use of his name by the group.
He maintained that the PDP has only one legitimate leadership under the National Working Committee chaired by Abdulrahman Mohammed, which, according to him, is the leadership recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The forum explained that while the Turaki-led committee reportedly submitted Jonathan’s name and a list of National Assembly candidates to INEC manually after failing to secure access codes, the recognised NWC successfully uploaded the names of its presidential candidate, Senator Sandy Onor, alongside other candidates, through the commission’s official portal.
The state chairmen further noted that Jonathan’s name was absent from INEC’s published list of qualified presidential candidates, insisting that this confirmed the electoral commission does not recognise him as the PDP’s flag bearer.
Calling on the former president to publicly clarify his position, the forum stated:
“We call on you, in view of the global image and moral authority you command, to address Nigerians directly and disassociate yourself from the continuous use of your name in this spectacle of macabre dance by expelled PDP members.”
The chairmen added: “It is public knowledge that your name is being used by these shameless people to perpetuate their ignoble activities. This must stop. Silence in the face of such misuse damages not just the party, but your own legacy of peace and statesmanship.”
The forum also accused the Turaki-led committee of forgery and misrepresenting court judgments in an attempt to create the impression that the PDP is divided into factions. It urged security agencies to investigate the allegations and prosecute anyone found culpable.
Warning that the activities of the group could undermine public peace, the chairmen said:
“Their utter disrespect for the rule of law, their breach of peace, and reckless utterances pose a clear and present danger to public order. Nigeria is a nation of laws, not of propaganda.”
In addition, the forum called on the recognised PDP National Working Committee to institute legal proceedings against the INWC. It also appealed to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to review the continued use of a building in Abuja’s Garki district, where the Turaki-led group is said to hold its meetings.
According to the chairmen, the facility is allegedly being used for activities “capable of breaching public peace and leading to a total breakdown of law and order in the FCT.”
The forum reaffirmed that Abdulrahman Mohammed remains the only recognised National Chairman of the PDP and dismissed those claiming to represent a rival faction of the party as impostors who should be ignored.
