INEC Rejects Jonathan's Nomination from PDP Faction

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rejected the presidential nomination of former President Goodluck Jonathan, submitted by the Kabiru Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). INEC stated that all political parties must submit candidates through its designated electronic portal, invalidating the manual submission made by the Turaki faction.

INEC's Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, emphasized that compliance with the commission's guidelines is mandatory. The Turaki faction claims it submitted Jonathan's nomination and other candidates manually after being denied access to the online platform.

National Publicity Secretary Ini Ememobong argued that the access codes for electronic filing are administrative tools, not legal prerequisites. He asserted that the faction remains the authentic leadership of the PDP and warned INEC against recognizing rival submissions.

Ememobong expressed confidence that the courts would uphold their position, linking the crisis to a Supreme Court judgment that left the PDP without a legally recognized National Working Committee.