The Kabiru Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has ratified former President Goodluck Jonathan as its sole presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
The ratification was successfully carried out despite a heavy security clampdown on the original venue.
According to reports, the PDP faction changed the venue of the event on Saturday morning.
The ceremony, which lasted less than 20 minutes, saw a close ally of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Fred Agbedi, receive the certificate on his behalf. Among the dignitaries in attendance were Prof. Jerry Gana, Adolphus Wabara, and several other party stakeholders aligned with the Turaki-led faction.
Security operatives had sealed off the A-Class Event Centre in Wuse 2, Abuja, with police vans deployed since Friday night to completely block access to the facility.
The police lockdown followed an order from the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, who had warned hotel and event center owners to only host political groups officially recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The minister defended the move as a security measure to prevent public disturbance, threatening to revoke the land titles of any property that violated the directive.
In response, the PDP faction backed by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde accused Wike of using state power to suppress the opposition and threatening the venue’s management with a total business shutdown.
While the Wike-led faction holds current INEC recognition, the Makinde-backed group pushed forward with Jonathan’s endorsement, asserting their legitimacy by citing a recent Supreme Court judgment regarding the suspension of leaders within Wike’s camp.
