The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has stated that the publication of its presidential candidate by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has ended months of speculation over the party’s participation in the 2027 presidential election.
The party stated that those who expected it would fail to have a candidate had been proven incorrect.
It described the placement of its presidential candidate, Senator Sandy Onor, and his running mate, Babangida Umar, on INEC’s published list of candidates as a significant step forward in its preparations for the 2027 general election.
In a statement issued on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, the PDP said the publishing had “effectively laid to rest” what it described as ongoing misinformation and propaganda aimed at undermining trust in the party.
The statement read in part, “Of particular significance is the publication of the names of our presidential candidate, Distinguished Senator Sandy Ojang Onor, and his running mate, Alhaji Babangida Umar, who will proudly fly the flag of our great party in the 2027 presidential election.”
According to the PDP, the development has vindicated its leadership after months of claims that internal disputes would prevent it from fielding candidates for the election.
“This development has effectively dispelled the persistent misinformation and propaganda from those who sought to convince Nigerians that the PDP would not field a presidential candidate.
“For months, these unfounded claims were deployed as a campaign tool to mislead Nigerians, discourage our supporters, and create doubts about the future of our party. Today, the facts have prevailed, the law has taken its course, and the PDP has once again been vindicated,” it stated.
The opposition party thanked its members and supporters around the country and in the diaspora for keeping loyal during what it termed a difficult time.
The PDP also praised INEC, the courts, and security forces for upholding the rule of law and constitutional order.
Reaffirming its commitment to peace, the party urged unhappy members to return, stressing unity was still required to restore political power.
The party also welcomed returning members and recent defectors, calling their decision a sign of renewed faith in the PDP’s mission and leadership.
The declaration came after INEC published the final list of presidential and National Assembly candidates for the 2027 general election.
Recently, the party has been embroiled in internal leadership disagreements and legal fights, fueling uncertainty about its capacity to complete the nomination process by the statutory deadline.
The development, according to the party, dealt a significant blow to the faction led by former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations Tanimu Turaki, which chose former President Goodluck Jonathan as its presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
Last week, the faction stated that it manually submitted the name of its presidential candidate to the electoral commission since it did not have the access code needed for electronic filing.
