The Tanimu Turaki – led Interim National Working Committee (INWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reaffirmed its commitment to participating in the 2027 general elections.
The party expressed confidence in overcoming its current leadership challenges through the judicial process.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, the National Publicity Secretary of the Interim National Working Committee, Comrade Ini Ememobong, said the party had appealed the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which declined to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the interim leadership.
According to Ememobong, the Interim National Working Committee was constituted by the PDP Board of Trustees and a member-requisitioned National Executive Committee following the Supreme Court judgment that nullified the party’s Ibadan National Convention and, according to the party, left it without a legally recognised national leadership.
“We duly notified INEC of the constitution of the Interim National Working Committee in line with the law, but the Commission declined to recognise it despite the subsisting judicial decisions supporting our position,” he said.
Ememobong argued that the Federal High Court judgment was inconsistent with earlier decisions of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal.
“The judgment reads more like an appeal on the decisions of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal. It ventured into issues that have already been settled by superior courts. That is why we have exercised our constitutional right of appeal,” he stated.
He also alleged delays in obtaining the Certified True Copy of the judgment.
“The Certified True Copy did not fully reflect portions of the judgment as delivered in open court. These concerns will also be addressed through the appropriate legal processes,” he stated.
The PDP further accused INEC of failing to maintain neutrality in matters involving the party.
“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, urging INEC to exercise restraint while the appeal remains pending.
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Despite the dispute, Ememobong announced that the PDP had successfully submitted its list of candidates for the 2027 general elections manually.
“Notwithstanding INEC’s refusal to provide us with the necessary access codes, which is an administrative convenience rather than a legal requirement, we have successfully submitted, manually and in full compliance with the Electoral Act 2026, the list of candidates sponsored by the authentic Peoples Democratic Party,” he said.
He said that the submission, acknowledged by INEC, includes “our presidential candidate, former President Goodluck Jonathan, as well as all Governorship, National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly candidates.”
The PDP spokesman urged members and supporters to remain calm should INEC publish names different from those submitted by the interim leadership.
“We are exhausting every constitutional, legal and democratic avenue to ensure that our party is not hijacked. With God on our side, victory is certain, even if it is delayed,” he said.
Background
The PDP has been embroiled in a prolonged leadership crisis following disputes arising from its National Convention held in Ibadan.
Invalidation of the Convention
The crisis led to a series of legal battles that culminated in judgments by the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, resulting in the invalidation of the convention and creating uncertainty over the party’s national leadership.
Following the Supreme Court decision, the PDP Board of Trustees and a National Executive Committee meeting requisitioned by members constituted an Interim National Working Committee to oversee the affairs of the party pending the resolution of the leadership dispute.
However, the recognition of the interim leadership by INEC has become the subject of fresh litigation, with the party insisting that the electoral commission should recognise the interim officials, while the Commission has maintained its position based on its interpretation of the law and the relevant court decisions.
The leadership dispute comes as political parties intensify preparations for the 2027 general elections, with campaigns officially scheduled to commence on August 19th in accordance with the timetable released by INEC.
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