A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ratified former President Goodluck Jonathan as its 2027 presidential candidate on Saturday in Abuja, after police barricaded its original convention venue.
The faction, led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, relocated the special national convention to its office in the Area 10 district of Garki after officers blocked access to the A-Class Event Centre in Wuse 2. The relocated ceremony lasted under 20 minutes.
Jonathan did not attend. Fred Agbedi, a House of Representatives member from Bayelsa State and a Jonathan ally, received the certificate of return on his behalf. Party figures including Professor Jerry Gana and Adolphus Wabara attended, while the ratification motion was moved by Tony Aziegbemi and seconded by Sani Dagash.
Earlier in the day, police parked patrol vans along the routes leading from the Wuse and Maitama districts, restricting access for delegates and other road users.
The move followed a directive from the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), supervised by Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike, instructing hotels and event centres to deal only with party leaderships recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The Turaki faction is not currently recognised by INEC.
The faction accused Wike of attempting to frustrate the gathering and alleged that pressure was placed on the venue management despite full payment. It maintained that it had met all requirements and notified security agencies in advance.
Jonathan has not publicly accepted the nomination or commented on the endorsement. The PDP remains split into rival blocs ahead of 2027, with a separate Wike aligned faction recognised by the electoral body.
