Turaki PDP Faction Protests As INEC Gives Upload Code To Wike-Backed Leadership

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction led by former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki (SAN), has protested the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to grant the party’s candidate nomination upload code to the PDP leadership backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

Naija News understands that the code is required for uploading the party’s candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, said INEC gave the access code to the National Working Committee led by Abdulrahman Mohammed, describing the move as further confirmation of the NWC’s legitimacy.

Mohammed said INEC’s action showed that the Wike-backed leadership remained the legally recognised PDP structure.

He said, “Unfortunately for them, lies have an expiry date, and INEC has issued us the codes to upload the names of our candidates. We have been duly recognised by the electoral umpire, which is very important.

“Nigerians have known that Turaki and his friends are just noisemakers. Let them continue. There is a Hausa adage that describes that when a local barber is about to finish, that is when it pains most.”

He added that the Turaki faction had not obstructed the party’s activities.

“The activities of Turaki and others are not affecting our activities in any way. They have not constituted any stumbling block to our operations. For those who remain confused or misdirected, it is because they have chosen to be so. The facts are very clear,” Mohammed said.

Asked why the party had not released its candidates’ list, Mohammed said the appeal process had to be concluded first.

He said, “Appeals are part of the electoral process. The hearing of appeals will commence on the 8th, 9th, and 10th to ensure fair play and internal democracy, so that we are certain that we acted within the provisions of party policy and electoral guidelines.

“As soon as the appeals process is concluded and INEC ratifies the names of the elected candidates, we will make it public.”

Turaki Faction Faults INEC

Responding, the spokesperson of the Turaki-led faction, Ini Ememobong, said INEC’s recognition of the Mohammed-led NWC was merely administrative.

He argued that the electoral body would still recognise candidates of the Turaki faction, regardless of who currently holds the upload code.

Ememobong further stated, “We have not been given any code. But when we finished our primaries in Ekiti, we had our candidates. When we finished primaries in Osun, our candidates were recognised. So, if they have the code, what are they afraid of?.

“So, the issue of INEC recognition is administrative. There are candidates that INEC did not recognise at the initial stage, whose names are now on the portal.”

Ememobong said the faction was pursuing a long-term political strategy and remained confident that its candidates would eventually be recognised.

He said, “This is a marathon. No one is in doubt that we are not running a sprint; we are using a marathon mentality for it. This may take time. Darkness may be everywhere, but when light shines, weeping will stop, and darkness will evacuate.

“So, the question you should ask is: if you have the codes, why are you worried? They say people won’t buy our forms, but so many people did, because they know that in the end they will be candidates of the PDP.

“So, we have not been given any code, and we are not worried, because in the end, our candidates will be uploaded as PDP candidates.”

Supreme Court Ruling Deepened Crisis

The crisis followed the Supreme Court’s split 3–2 ruling of April 30, which nullified the PDP national convention held in Ibadan on November 15 and 16.

The convention, backed by Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, had produced the Turaki-led leadership.

After the judgment, the PDP Board of Trustees, chaired by Adolphus Wabara, reappointed Turaki and others into an Interim National Working Committee.

Since then, the Turaki group has operated alongside the INEC-recognised PDP leadership aligned with Wike.

The Mohammed-led NWC, with Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary, has continued to sell expression-of-interest and nomination forms, while INEC has monitored its activities and primaries.

The Turaki faction also issued nomination forms to aspirants despite lacking INEC recognition and without the commission monitoring its primaries.