The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has declared that the publication of its presidential ticket by the Independent National Electoral Commission has ended months of uncertainty over the party’s participation in the 2027 presidential election.
Account to The Punch, the faction said the development had disproved claims by critics who insisted the party would be unable to field a presidential candidate.
It described the appearance of its presidential candidate, Senator Sandy Onor, and his running mate, Babangida Umar, on INEC’s final list of candidates as a significant step in its preparations for the 2027 polls.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, the PDP said the publication had “effectively laid to rest” what it called a prolonged campaign of misinformation designed to weaken public confidence in the party.
The statement read in part, “Of particular significance is the publication of the names of our presidential candidate, Distinguished Senator Sandy Ojang Onor, and his running mate, Alhaji Babangida Umar, who will proudly fly the flag of our great party in the 2027 presidential election.”
According to the party, the publication validates its leadership after months of speculation that internal crises and legal disputes would prevent it from presenting candidates for the election.
“This development has effectively laid to rest the sustained misinformation and propaganda by those who desperately sought to convince Nigerians that the PDP would not field a presidential candidate.
“For months, these unfounded claims were deployed as a campaign tool to mislead Nigerians, discourage our supporters and create doubts about the future of our party. Today, the facts have prevailed, the law has taken its course, and the PDP has once again been vindicated,” it stated.
The party thanked its members and supporters at home and abroad for remaining loyal throughout what it described as a difficult period.
It also applauded INEC, the judiciary and security agencies for upholding the rule of law and constitutional order during the process.
Restating its commitment to reconciliation, the PDP urged aggrieved members to return to the fold, stressing that unity would be crucial to its quest to regain political power.
The party further welcomed returning members and new defectors, saying their decision reflected growing confidence in its leadership and vision.
The statement came shortly after INEC released the final list of presidential and National Assembly candidates for the 2027 general election.
The PDP has in recent months faced internal leadership tussles and court cases that raised doubts about its ability to complete its nomination process before the electoral deadline.
The party maintained that the publication of its candidates dealt a major setback to the rival faction led by former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, Tanimu Turaki, which had adopted former President Goodluck Jonathan as its presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
The Turaki-led faction had last week claimed it manually submitted the name of its presidential candidate to INEC after failing to obtain the access code required for electronic submission.
