2027: PDP, Turaki Camp Clash Over Jonathan Adoption as Wike Threatens Crackdown on ‘Illegal’ Political Meetings

By Frontline Reporters

Fresh political tensions erupted on Friday as rival factions of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) locked horns over plans to adopt former President Goodluck Jonathan as the party’s presidential standard-bearer for the 2027 general election.

The controversy deepened when the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, warned that hotels, event centres, and public facilities hosting activities of organizations not recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) risk losing their land titles.

The development comes ahead of a planned “Special National Convention” scheduled for Saturday at the A-Class Event Centre, Wuse 2, Abuja, where the Tanimu Turaki-led PDP faction intends to formally ratify Jonathan as its presidential candidate.

The move has intensified the power struggle within the opposition party, with the faction loyal to Wike dismissing the exercise as illegal and unconstitutional.

Supreme Court Judgment Fuels Crisis

The Turaki-led group has remained outside INEC’s recognition following a Supreme Court judgment delivered on April 30, 2026, which nullified the PDP’s November 2025 national convention that produced the Tanimu Turaki leadership.

The ruling effectively handed control of the party to the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led National Working Committee (NWC), widely regarded as being backed by Wike.

Despite the court verdict, the Turaki faction insists it remains the legitimate custodian of the PDP and has pressed ahead with plans to present Jonathan as its consensus presidential candidate.

Wike Draws the Battle Line

In a strongly worded statement issued through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, Wike declared that the FCT Administration would no longer tolerate the use of public facilities by organizations operating outside the law.

According to him, event centres, hotels and other public venues across Abuja will now be subjected to stricter monitoring to ensure they are not used for activities capable of undermining public peace or security.

He warned operators of such facilities to conduct due diligence before approving bookings and advised them to deal only with political parties and party executives recognized by INEC.

The FCT Administration further cautioned that any property found aiding the activities of illegal organizations could face severe sanctions, including the revocation of land titles.

PDP NWC Rejects Jonathan Adoption

Reacting to the planned convention, the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led PDP National Working Committee described the exercise as a political charade and urged former President Jonathan to publicly distance himself from it.

National Publicity Secretary of the NWC, Jagundo Haruna Mohammed, said the PDP had already concluded all its primary elections in line with the Electoral Act, the party constitution, and INEC guidelines.

He stressed that no convention, meeting, or process had been approved by any recognized organ of the PDP to nominate or adopt another presidential candidate.

According to him, former Cross River State governorship candidate and ex-lawmaker, Sandy Onor, had already emerged as the party’s consensus presidential candidate for the 2027 election.

“The PDP has successfully concluded all its primaries, including governorship, state assembly, National Assembly and presidential primaries under the supervision of INEC,” Mohammed said.

He called on Jonathan to publicly dissociate himself from what he termed an unauthorized political exercise in order to protect both his reputation and the integrity of Nigeria’s democratic process.

The PDP spokesman also urged security agencies to investigate those behind the planned convention, accusing them of attempting to sow political confusion and tension across the country.

‘We Won’t Be Intimidated’ — Turaki Faction Fires Back

The Turaki-led camp swiftly rejected Wike’s warning, accusing the FCT Minister of attempting to suppress opposition politics through intimidation and abuse of power.

Spokesman of the faction, Ini Ememobong, maintained that the convention would proceed as scheduled despite the threats.

In a statement posted on the group’s official X handle, @OfficialPDPNig, Ememobong revealed that the organizers had fully paid for the venue and had formally notified relevant security agencies about the event.

He disclosed that lawyers had been instructed to remind the management of A-Class Event Centre of its contractual obligations following reports that pressure was being mounted on the facility to cancel the booking.

“We have fulfilled all legal requirements, paid for the venue in full, and notified security agencies. Therefore, the special convention to ratify the presidential candidature of President Goodluck Jonathan will hold as scheduled on Saturday, May 30, 2026, at 10 a.m. in Abuja,” he stated.

Ememobong argued that Nigeria is governed by the rule of law and not by executive intimidation, insisting that no law empowers the FCT Minister to determine which political meetings can or cannot hold within the nation’s capital.

He described any attempt to stop the gathering as an attack on democratic freedoms and urged party leaders, National Executive Committee members, and stakeholders across the country to attend the event.

Battle for PDP Soul Intensifies

The latest confrontation underscores the deepening leadership crisis within the PDP as rival factions continue to battle for legitimacy ahead of the 2027 elections.

With Jonathan’s name now at the centre of the dispute and Wike threatening sanctions against venues hosting the gathering, political observers believe Saturday’s convention could become a defining moment in the ongoing struggle for control of one of Nigeria’s major opposition parties.