Over 1,400 candidates from the Tanimu Turaki faction of the People's Democratic Party have been locked out of the 2027 general elections despite paying substantial sums for nomination forms. The Nyesom Wike-aligned wing of the party celebrated Sunday after successfully uploading their candidates' list to the Independent National Electoral Commission's portal.
Abdulrahman Mohammed, the PDP national chairman, announced the upload in a statement he personally signed on Sunday. He said the party had successfully submitted the names of its presidential candidate, running mate, and National Assembly candidates to INEC's online nomination system.
INEC had set July 11, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. as the deadline for parties to upload nomination forms for presidential and National Assembly candidates. Mohammed said the submission represented "a clear demonstration of our commitment to the promise we made that, under my leadership, the PDP will fully participate in the 2027 general elections."
The party chairman noted they had taken "another decisive step towards fulfilling that promise" by meeting INEC's deadline. He said the party still awaits completion of uploads for governorship and state assembly candidates.
Mohammed extended "heartfelt congratulations to all PDP members across Nigeria and around the world" on behalf of the national working committee. He promised party members that together they would "continue to build a stronger, more united party and a better future for the nation."
The successful upload came shortly after Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory and party national leader, expressed pessimism about the PDP's prospects. Wike, who has openly stated his intention to campaign for President Bola Tinubu's re-election and the ruling All Progressive Congress, blamed the party's internal struggles.
"When a party has this kind of challenges, you really cannot expect it to do much during election," Wike said. However, he added that he remained confident the party would eventually recover.
Sandy Onor, the PDP's presidential candidate, had reportedly selected Babangida Umaru, the national vice chairman (North East), as his running mate. The nomination exercise began on June 27 and requires submission of forms EC9 and EC9A to EC9E in line with the Electoral Act.
Wike argued that the party's internal difficulties made it unlikely to mount a strong showing, particularly at the presidential level, in 2027. His comments underscored the deep divisions plaguing the opposition party as it prepares for the general elections.
