*Says 4.2m members on party register
The faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aligned with Kabiru Tanimu Turaki has declared that any attempt to endorse President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as consensus candidate of the party ahead of the 2027 elections will be firmly resisted.
This position was made known in a press briefing by the groups National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, who also presented interim results of the on-going digital membership registration exercise.
Ememobong disclosed that over 4.2 million Nigerians had registered on the party’s digital platform within three weeks, describing the figure as a strong indication of continued public trust in the PDP despite internal challenges.
“Despite the trials we have faced, millions of Nigerians have kept faith with the PDP. This is a clear signal that the electorate is not defecting with politicians but remains committed to a credible alternative,” he said.
Emeobong noted that the registration exercise, which covered wards across the country, revealed significant youth participation, with over 40 per cent of registrants aged between 18 and 40 years.
According to him, the data also showed widespread national spread, with strong numbers recorded in the South West, South South, and North Central regions, as well as notable participation from Kaduna, Edo, and Oyo states.
The spokesman said the turnout reflects growing dissatisfaction with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government, particularly over issues of insecurity and economic hardship.
“These millions of Nigerians are dissatisfied with the current administration, where insecurity and killings have become the new normal,” he said, adding that delayed government responses to violent incidents have further deepened public frustration.
Ememobong accused some politicians of abandoning the party for personal gain, stressing that while political elites may defect, the electorate remains largely loyal to the PDP.
“What this registration has shown clearly is that politicians are defecting, not the electorate,” he stated.
He also raised concerns over what he described as attempts by certain individuals to position the PDP in support of President Tinubu’s re-election bid, warning that such moves would not be tolerated.
“We call on Nigerians to ignore those masquerading as PDP members while endorsing the President for a second term,” Ememobong said. “The PDP is an opposition party and cannot become an appendage of the APC.”
The Turaki-led group maintained that any form of political alignment that compromises the party’s opposition role would be rejected.
“Attempts to endorse President Tinubu as a PDP candidate will be resisted. It is impossible for the PDP to be subsumed under another party,” he added.
The party further announced an extension of its digital membership registration exercise to April 30, 2026, to accommodate more Nigerians willing to join.
Ememobong urged members to take advantage of the extension, noting that registration remains free and accessible through the party’s official platform.
He assured supporters that the party’s leadership would continue efforts to reposition the PDP and protect its structure from what he described as “anti-democratic forces.”
“We will take all necessary steps to rescue our party from those seeking to weaken it or turn it into a tool for another party,” he said.
Reaffirming the PDP’s role as a major opposition force, Ememobong said the party remains committed to offering Nigerians a credible alternative ahead of the 2027 general elections.
