Isaac Samuel
A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will on Saturday hold a Special National Convention in Abuja to formally ratify former President Goodluck Jonathan as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
The convention is scheduled to take place at the ‘A’ Class Event Centre, Kassim Ibrahim Way, Wuse 2, Abuja, beginning at 10 a.m., according to an invitation obtained on Thursday.
The invitation, jointly signed by the faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, and National Organising Secretary, Theophilus Dakas Shan, described the gathering as a “Special National Convention for the Ratification of the Nomination of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, as the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party.”
Saturday’s convention is expected to culminate a series of political moves by the Kabiru Turaki-led faction aimed at positioning Jonathan as its flag-bearer ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The faction had earlier conducted a presidential primary on Wednesday, where Jonathan emerged as the sole aspirant following his clearance by the party’s screening committee.
The screening committee, chaired by former Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu, had on May 19 granted Jonathan a waiver to participate in the exercise, citing his vast political experience and leadership record.
Aliyu said the committee considered Jonathan’s political journey from deputy governor to governor, vice president and president before approving his candidacy.
The move received further backing after a Federal High Court in Abuja ruled on Tuesday that Jonathan remained eligible to contest the 2027 presidential election.
Justice Peter Lifu, while delivering judgment, held that the plaintiff seeking to stop Jonathan from contesting lacked the legal standing to institute the suit because no personal injury or loss had been established.
The judge also noted that both the Federal High Court in Yenagoa and the Court of Appeal had earlier affirmed Jonathan’s eligibility to seek the presidency again.
He subsequently described the suit as an abuse of court process.
Reacting to the ruling, the PDP faction welcomed the judgment, insisting that constitutional provisions and electoral laws could not be applied retroactively to disqualify the former president.
The faction maintained that the court verdict, alongside the waiver granted by its screening committee, had cleared every obstacle to Jonathan’s participation in the 2027 race.
Despite the growing momentum around his candidacy, Jonathan has yet to publicly declare his intention to contest the election.
The former president had earlier told a delegation of youth groups who visited him in Abuja to urge him to join the race that he would consult widely before taking any decision.
“Presidential race is not a computer game. But I’ve heard you and I’ll consult widely,” Jonathan reportedly told the group.
He reiterated that position at the close of the meeting, stressing that he could not simply wake up and announce a presidential bid without broad consultations.
“I cannot just wake up and say I want to be the president of Nigeria again. I will consult, and if there is a need to, I will wait,” he said.
Jonathan served as Nigeria’s president from 2010 to 2015 and was widely praised for conceding defeat to former President Muhammadu Buhari after the 2015 presidential election.
