The interim National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party led by Tanimu Turaki on Tuesday screened 12 governorship aspirants ahead of the 2027 elections, while granting automatic clearance to former President Goodluck Jonathan as the party’s sole presidential aspirant.
Chairman of the PDP INWC screening committee and former Vice President, Namadi Sambo, represented by former Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu, disclosed this while speaking with journalists after the screening exercise in Abuja.
Reacting to the development, the African Democratic Congress said Jonathan’s possible return to the presidential race could reshape political alignments and force parties to rethink their strategies ahead of 2027.
Jonathan, who served as president between 2010 and 2015, was reportedly granted a waiver by the PDP screening panel chaired by Aliyu, clearing the path for a potential return to active presidential politics.
Although the PDP national leadership is yet to formally confirm the development, the move has already sparked intense political debate, with analysts suggesting Jonathan’s re-emergence could significantly alter the dynamics ahead of the next general election.
Earlier, former presidential aide and PDP chieftain, Umar Sani, claimed that Jonathan had already obtained the party’s presidential nomination form ahead of the 2027 election.
Sani, who served as Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to Sambo, made the claim during an appearance on Trust TV on Tuesday.
His remarks followed renewed consultations involving Jonathan across different political blocs, fuelling speculation that the former president may be considering a political comeback nearly 12 years after leaving office.
While Jonathan has yet to officially declare his ambition or confirm the platform he may contest under, Sani suggested that the PDP’s lingering internal crisis may be responsible for the former president’s cautious approach.
He also dismissed claims that the party was merely attempting to use Jonathan’s popularity for political survival.
“The issue is not about whether we will extract commitment from him. In politics, action is what matters,” Sani said.
“If your actions suggest interest, there are steps you must take, including obtaining a nomination form. He has procured the form and is preparing to submit it publicly.”
Sani added that Jonathan remains the best option for the country at the moment and insisted that legal issues surrounding his eligibility had already been settled.
According to him, only the Supreme Court could overturn previous rulings on Jonathan’s eligibility, expressing confidence that the pending matter before Justice Peter Lifu would be dismissed when it comes up on May 26.
He also argued that many Nigerians remain nostalgic about Jonathan’s administration.
“Most Nigerians know him and are nostalgic about Jonathan. At the time he left office, many people felt the PDP was underperforming, but Nigerians have now seen the difference clearly,” he added.
Speaking further, the screening committee chairman explained that Jonathan was granted a waiver because of his extensive political experience, effectively clearing him as the PDP’s presidential candidate.
“The party had already given a presidential aspirant a waiver from screening,” he said.
“He was deputy governor, governor, vice president and president, so there was nothing left to screen. Therefore, the party granted him a waiver and declared him cleared as the PDP presidential candidate, and that is former President Goodluck Jonathan.”
He also disclosed that former Oyo State Deputy Governor, Taofeek Arapaja, received a similar waiver.
The committee chairman noted that other governorship aspirants from Taraba, Adamawa, Kano, Akwa Ibom and Delta states were also screened, while additional aspirants would continue to be screened within the approved timeline.
A Kebbi State governorship aspirant and former PDP Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Manga, confirmed that he was successfully cleared after submitting his nomination form.
Also speaking, Delta governorship aspirant Benedict Etanabene said he joined the PDP after the dissolution of the Labour Party structures in Delta State, questioning the party’s viability in the state.
Meanwhile, PDP governorship candidate in Yobe State, Sharif Abdullahi, said he decided to contest again in 2027 after participating in the 2023 election, promising to prioritise education, healthcare and agriculture if elected.
Earlier, the Turaki-led faction disclosed that 2,122 aspirants are expected to be screened for state Houses of Assembly seats, 748 for the House of Representatives, 198 for the Senate, 112 for governorship positions and one presidential aspirant.
On April 30, the Supreme Court of Nigeria, in a split 3–2 judgment, invalidated the PDP national convention held in Ibadan on November 15 and 16.
The convention, backed by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, had produced a leadership headed by Turaki.
In a statement posted on its verified X handle, @ADCVANGUARD, the ADC said Jonathan’s possible return would complicate political calculations for both the ruling All Progressives Congress and opposition parties.
“Jonathan’s possible return will shake the PDP, disturb APC calculations, unsettle Labour Party sympathisers, and force every political camp to rethink strategy,” the party stated.
The ADC described the development as more than an internal PDP affair, saying it signalled the return of old political forces ahead of what may become one of Nigeria’s most competitive elections since 1999.
The party also argued that Jonathan’s national appeal and moderate public image could pose a challenge to President Bola Tinubu amid growing public frustration over inflation, insecurity and the rising cost of living.
“For APC, this is another headache. Tinubu is already battling public anger over hardship, insecurity, inflation and broken expectations,” the ADC added.
“Now imagine facing a former president with nostalgia value, a soft public image and a familiar national network. That is not a small challenge.”
