Jonathan Emerges PDP Faction’s 2027 Presidential Candidate at Abuja Convention

ByEditor

May 30, 2026 #2027 Nigerian election, #Goodluck Jonathan, #Goodluck Jonathan return, #Jonathan presidential bid, #Kabiru Turaki PDP faction, #Nigerian politics, #PDP convention Abuja, #PDP Crisis, #PDP factions, #PDP presidential candidate 2027

Pat Stevens/

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has been formally adopted as the presidential candidate of a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2027 general election, deepening the party’s internal divisions ahead of the next electoral cycle.

Jonathan’s nomination was ratified on Saturday during a special national convention organised by the PDP faction led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki at the party’s secretariat in Area 10, Garki, Abuja.

The convention reportedly endorsed the former president in absentia as the faction’s standard bearer for the 2027 presidential contest.

The development marks the culmination of a process that began earlier this month when the Turaki-led group cleared Jonathan as its sole presidential aspirant and announced plans to formally ratify his candidature at a special convention.

Party officials had argued that Jonathan’s previous service as deputy governor, governor, vice president and president made further screening unnecessary.

The endorsement is expected to intensify the struggle for legitimacy within the opposition party, which has been split between rival leadership blocs.

While the Turaki-led faction has rallied behind Jonathan, another PDP faction associated with Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, recently adopted former senator, Sandy Onor, as its consensus presidential candidate for the same election.

The competing nominations underscore the widening rift within the PDP.

Jonathan, who served as Nigeria’s president from 2010 to 2015, has not publicly addressed Saturday’s ratification.

However, the former president has maintained close contact with the Turaki-led PDP leadership.

Earlier this year, Turaki disclosed that Jonathan had pledged support for the party amid its ongoing leadership and legal battles.

The former president’s potential return to frontline electoral politics has generated significant interest across the political landscape.

Last week, a Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed a suit seeking to bar Jonathan from participating in the 2027 presidential election, affirming his eligibility to contest should he decide to run.

Saturday’s convention is likely to trigger fresh debate over the future direction of the PDP and the legal status of decisions taken by rival party factions as preparations for the 2027 general election gather momentum.