The Tanimu Turaki-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of working to hijack and undermine the party, and replace its presidential candidate, former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The opposition party alleged that the electoral body is aiding efforts to weaken the PDP and pave the way for a one-party state ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The allegations were contained in a press statement issued on Saturday by the National Publicity Secretary of the Interim National Working Committee of the party, Ini Ememobong.
Ememobong also said that the party has manually submitted its list of candidates to INEC, including former President Jonathan as its presidential candidate.
According to Ememobong, the Interim National Working Committee was constituted by the PDP’s Board of Trustees and a member-requisitioned National Executive Committee after a Supreme Court judgment left the party without a legally recognised national leadership.
He said the decision establishing the interim leadership was communicated to INEC in line with the law, but the commission refused to recognise it despite repeated notifications.
He recalled that the party subsequently approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking an order compelling INEC to recognise the Interim National Working Committee.
However, Ememobong criticised the judgment delivered by Justice Salim Oluwasupo Ibrahim, arguing that it contradicted existing decisions of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal.
“The judgment reads more like an appeal on the judgement of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal,” he said.
“It is clearly inconsistent with the extant decisions of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal that form the foundation of our case.”
He added that the party had already filed an appeal, insisting that the lower court ventured into issues already settled by superior courts.
The PDP spokesperson also alleged irregularities surrounding the release of the Certified True Copy of the judgment.
According to him, the document was released after a considerable delay and did not fully reflect portions of the judgment delivered in open court.
“This development raises legitimate concerns, which will also be addressed through the appropriate legal processes,” he said.
Ememobong further accused INEC of abandoning its constitutional duty of neutrality, alleging that the commission deliberately withheld facts in court proceedings involving the PDP.
“The Commission’s actions have regrettably reinforced the growing public perception that it is no longer acting with the impartiality expected of the nation’s electoral umpire,” Ememobong said.
He alleged that congresses conducted and monitored by INEC were later denied before the courts because acknowledging them would have contradicted the commission’s legal position.
The PDP also claimed that INEC has repeatedly refused to comply with court orders favourable to the party, creating what it described as an impression of institutional bias.
The party further criticised the leadership of INEC, noting that the electoral umpire has attracted widespread public distrust.
“It is on record that this Chairman is the most disparaged before an election — up to the point where his most popular photo on social media is that with a cap bearing the insignia of the President,” Ememobong said.
“While this photo may be AI generated, the popularity of its use indicates the wide acceptability of his clear partisanship.”
The party warned INEC against publishing the names of candidates allegedly submitted by what it described as unauthorised persons instead of those sponsored by the Interim National Working Committee.
Ememobong said any responsible electoral management body faced with conflicting court decisions and a pending appeal should exercise restraint until the legal process was concluded.
He expressed hope that the commission, under the leadership of Prof. Joash Amupitan, would refrain from recognising rival candidates.
“If, however, the Commission proceeds to publish the names of persons other than those validly sponsored by the authentic leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, it will only deepen public concerns regarding its neutrality,” he warned.
The Turaki-led PDP faction also said that despite INEC’s refusal to provide it with access codes for electronic submission, it has manually submitted its candidates in compliance with the Electoral Act 2026.
According to the party, the submission included former President Goodluck Jonathan as its presidential candidate, alongside governorship, National Assembly and state assembly candidates, with INEC acknowledging receipt of the documents.
The party urged its members and supporters not to lose hope if INEC publishes a different list of candidates, insisting that it would continue pursuing legal and constitutional remedies.
Ememobong argued that attempts to weaken opposition parties amounted to “electoral authoritarianism,” warning that such actions threatened Nigeria’s democratic future.
He maintained that elections would lose credibility if citizens lost confidence in the neutrality of the electoral commission and called on Nigerians to defend multi-party democracy.
“We remain willing and prepared to endure to the very end, confident that when this difficult chapter in our nation’s political history is eventually closed, history will remember those who stood firmly for principle over expediency, courage over compromise, and democracy over convenience,” Ememobong said.Â
(SaharaReporters)