Turaki’s group shut out, Wike’s PDP celebrates candidates’ upload on INEC’s platform

…Wike rules out PDP’s presidential candidate challenging Tinubu

Indications have emerged that despite spending huge sums of money to purchase both the expression of Interest and Nomination forms, over 1400 candidates of the Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), have been shut out of 2027 general elections as group loyal to Nyesom Wike, on Sunday, celebrated the successful upload of their candidates’ list on the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC’s platform

Abdulrahman Mohammed, the PDP National Chairman, in a statement he personally signed on Sunday, announced that the party had successfully uploaded the list on INEC’s portal

Recall that INEC had fixed 6:00 p.m. of July 11, 2026, as the deadline for political parties to upload the nomination forms of their Presidential and National Assembly candidates on its online nomination portal.

” I am pleased to inform all PDP members and Nigerians that our great Party, under my leadership, has successfully uploaded the names of our Presidential Candidate, his Running Mate, and our National Assembly candidates onto the INEC Candidate Nomination Portal”, he said.

He described it as “a clear demonstration of our commitment to the promise we made that, under my leadership, the PDP will fully participate in the 2027 General Elections.”

He noted that the party had “taken another decisive step towards fulfilling that promise”, by uploading the list on INEC’s portal.

“As we await the conclusion of the upload of our Governorship and State Houses of Assembly candidates, I, on behalf of the National Working Committee of our Party, extend my heartfelt congratulations to all PDP members across Nigeria and around the world”, he noted.

He assured the party members that together they would continue to build a stronger, more united Party and a better future for the nation.

This development came on the heels of a statement credited to Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and National Leader of the party, who expressed doubts about the People’s Democratic Party’s chances of making a strong showing in the polls, in the 2027 general elections.

Wike, who has never hidden his intentions to campaign for the re-election of incumbent President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), hinged his conclusions on the “challenges faced by the party”.

Sandy Onor, the party’s Presidential candidate had reportedly settled on the National Vice Chairman (North East), Babangida Umaru, as the Vice-Presidential candidate.

The exercise, which commenced on June 27, covers the submission of Forms EC9 and EC9A to EC9E in line with Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026

Wike noted that the challenges faced by the party make such strong showing, especially at the presidential level, during the 2027 elections impossible

According to him, “when a party has this kind of challenges, you really cannot expect it to do much during election.:

He however expressed his confidence that “the party would bounce back”.