The Interim National Working Committee (INWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki (SAN), has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of frustrating efforts to reposition the party ahead of the 2027 general elections, alleging bias and refusal to recognise its leadership despite court judgments.
The faction also insisted that it had validly submitted the names of its candidates, including former President Goodluck Jonathan as its presidential candidate, in accordance with the Electoral Act 2026.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Friday, the National Publicity Secretary of the Interim National Working Committee, Comrade Ini Ememobong, said the crisis began after the Supreme Court judgment on the party’s leadership, which he claimed left the PDP without a legally recognised national leadership.
According to him, the party’s Board of Trustees and a National Executive Committee meeting convened by members subsequently constituted an Interim National Working Committee to manage the party’s affairs and formally notified INEC of the decision.
Ememobong alleged that despite receiving the notification and several reminders, the electoral commission declined to recognise the interim leadership, forcing the faction to seek judicial intervention at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
He, however, faulted the judgment of Justice Salim Oluwasupo Ibrahim, describing it as inconsistent with existing decisions of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal.
“The judgment reads more like an appeal on the decisions of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal rather than an enforcement of those subsisting judgments,” he said, adding that the faction had already appealed the ruling.
He further alleged irregularities in the release of the Certified True Copy of the judgment, claiming that it omitted portions of the decision delivered in open court, an issue he said would also be challenged through the appellate process.
The PDP spokesman accused INEC of consistently acting in a manner that reinforced public perception of partisanship, alleging that the commission failed to acknowledge material facts in court proceedings involving the party and ignored congresses it monitored because doing otherwise would contradict its legal position.
“The Commission’s filings, its arguments before the courts and its refusal to comply with court orders favourable to our party have collectively created an impression of institutional bias that should concern every Nigerian,” Ememobong stated.
He argued that any responsible electoral management body confronted with conflicting court decisions and a pending appeal should exercise restraint until all legal issues are resolved.
The party warned that if INEC publishes the names of candidates submitted by any other PDP leadership, it would deepen concerns over the commission’s neutrality and fuel allegations that it was aiding efforts to weaken the opposition.
Despite the dispute, Ememobong announced that the faction had successfully submitted, manually, its list of candidates to INEC after being denied access to the commission’s electronic portal.
He said the submission, which included the names of Jonathan as the party’s presidential candidate as well as governorship, National Assembly and State Assembly candidates, was acknowledged by the electoral commission.
“As part of the electoral timetable, INEC will soon publish the names of candidates sponsored by political parties. Should the Commission publish names other than those lawfully submitted by us, we urge our members and supporters not to despair. We are pursuing every constitutional, legal and democratic avenue to ensure that our party is not hijacked,” he said.
Ememobong described what he called “electoral authoritarianism” as a threat to Nigeria’s democracy, warning that weakening opposition parties would undermine public confidence in elections and democratic governance.
He maintained that the faction remained committed to pursuing the legal battle to its conclusion, expressing confidence that the courts would ultimately uphold what it described as the authentic leadership of the PDP and validate its actions ahead of the 2027 elections.
