The Tanimu Turaki (SAN)-led interim factional National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, 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, made the disclosure while answering questions from journalists after the screening exercise in Abuja on Tuesday.
Reacting, the African Democratic Congress, said Jonathan’s joining the presidential race will alter the country’s political calculations and trigger fresh strategic thinking across party lines.
Jonathan, who served as President between 2010 and 2015, was reportedly granted a waiver on Tuesday by a PDP screening panel headed by Aliyu, paving the way for a possible return to the presidential race.
Though the development is yet to receive formal confirmation from the national leadership of the PDP, it has already generated intense debate within political circles, with analysts suggesting that Jonathan’s re-emergence could reshape alignments ahead of the next general election.
Earlier, a former presidential aide and chieftain of the PDP, Umar Sani, alleged that Jonathan had already obtained a presidential nomination form ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Sani, who served as Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to former Vice President Sambo, made the assertion during an appearance on Trust TV on Tuesday.
His comments come amid renewed political consultations involving Jonathan across various political blocs, sparking fresh speculation that the former president may be considering a return to active politics nearly 12 years after leaving office.
Although Jonathan has yet to officially declare his ambition or reveal the platform under which he may contest, Sani hinted that the lingering internal crisis within the PDP may be responsible for the former president’s cautious posture.
He also rejected claims that the party was merely attempting to exploit Jonathan’s popularity for political advantage.
Sani stated, “The issue is not about whether we will extract commitment from him. What is most important in politics is action.
“If your action suggests you are interested, there are certain actions to follow. One of which is the procurement of the nomination form.
“He has procured the nomination form. In fact, he is about to come and submit the forms publicly. So it is not an issue of whether we are trying to bring or use him for our face-saving grace, whatever. No.
“The fact of the matter is that we believe that Jonathan is the right choice at this moment. We are very confident that the matter will be thrown out because you cannot relitigate something that has already been decided upon,” Sani said.
According to him, only the Supreme Court could overturn earlier decisions on Jonathan’s eligibility, insisting that the pending matter before Justice Peter Lifu would likely be dismissed for lack of jurisdiction when it comes up on May 26.
The PDP chieftain also dismissed claims that Jonathan’s supporters were merely exploiting his name for political relevance, insisting that many Nigerians remained emotionally attached to the former president due to memories of his administration.
“Most Nigerians know him and are nostalgic about Jonathan. At the time he left office, many people felt the PDP was not performing, but now Nigerians have seen the difference clearly,” he added.
The chairman of the screening committee explained that the party had granted a screening waiver to a presidential aspirant due to his extensive political background, effectively clearing Jonathan as the PDP’s candidate.
He also noted that a similar waiver was given to former Oyo State Deputy Governor, Taofeek Arapaja, adding that while other aspirants were still being screened, Jonathan remained the only confirmed presidential aspirant of the party.
He stated, “The party had already given a presidential aspirant a waiver from screening. As I said in the beginning, he was deputy governor, became governor, became vice president, and became president, so we did not see anything that required screening.
“Therefore, the party granted him a waiver. In other words, he has been declared and cleared as the PDP candidate for the presidential election, and that is former President Goodluck Jonathan.
“The other waiver is for the former deputy governor, ambassador, and secretary of the party, Taofeek Arapaja, who, for many reasons, had to remain in Ibadan, Oyo State, to ensure that everything went well. So, we also declared that he had been granted a waiver by the party.
“The others, as I am sure you have interacted with many of them who came here, include two aspirants from Taraba, one from Adamawa, one from Kano, one from Akwa Ibom, one from Delta, and another from Kano.
“Anytime the other aspirants come within the screening period, we will continue the screening exercise,” he said.
A Kebbi State Governorship aspirant, former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Ibrahim Manga, confirmed that he was successfully cleared after submitting his nomination form and undergoing screening to contest the governorship of Kebbi State.
Also, Delta governorship aspirant Benedict Etanabene said he joined the PDP after the Labour Party dissolved its state structures, questioning its viability in Delta State and criticising its reported support for the sitting president.
PDP governorship candidate in Yobe State, Sharif Abdullahi, said he is contesting again in 2027 after participating in the 2023 election, adding that if elected, he would focus on improving education, healthcare, and agriculture in the state.
Earlier, the Turaki faction had disclosed that a total of 2,122 aspirants are expected to be screened for state Houses of Assembly, 748 for the House of Representatives, 198 senatorial aspirants, 112 governorship aspirants, and one presidential aspirant.
On April 30, the Supreme Court, in a close 3–2 decision, invalidated the PDP national convention held in Ibadan on November 15 and 16.
The convention, which had the backing of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, had produced a leadership headed by Turaki (SAN).
In response to the judgment, the Board of Trustees Chairman, aligned with the Makinde faction, Adolphus Wabara, argued that the Supreme Court’s position on the suspension of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike’s ally and PDP National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, along with others, suggested that the party currently lacks a legally recognised leadership structure.
Following this development, the 103rd National Executive Committee meeting of the Makinde bloc of the PDP, held on Monday, approved a 13-member Caretaker Committee headed by Turaki (SAN) as chairman to oversee party affairs.
Reacting to Jonathan’s emergence in a statement posted on its verified X handle, @ADCVANGUARD, the ADC said Jonathan’s potential candidacy introduced a new layer of complexity for both the ruling All Progressives Congress and opposition parties preparing for 2027.
The party said, “Jonathan’s possible return will shake the PDP, disturb APC calculations, unsettle Labour Party sympathisers, and force every political camp to rethink strategy.
“Whether people like him or not, GEJ remains one of the few Nigerian politicians whose name still carries national emotion. Some remember him for peacefully conceding defeat. Others criticise his administration. But nobody can deny that his entrance into the race changes the conversation.”
The ADC further described the reported clearance as more than an internal PDP affair, arguing that it signalled the return of old political forces ahead of what could become one of Nigeria’s most fiercely contested elections since 1999.
“The PDP screening committee clearing former President Goodluck Jonathan on waiver to contest the 2027 presidential election is not just another party headline.
“It is a political signal. It means one thing clearly: the old forces are returning to the battlefield, and every major bloc is now preparing for a serious national contest,” the party stated.
Jonathan, who lost his re-election bid to former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, has remained an influential political figure on the continent, largely through diplomatic and peace-building engagements across Africa.
Over the years, there have been repeated calls from political groups urging him to return to active politics, particularly following growing public dissatisfaction with economic conditions and governance challenges.
The ADC argued that the former president’s perceived moderation and national appeal could pose a fresh challenge to President Bola Tinubu and the APC, especially amid rising public frustration over inflation, insecurity and the cost of living crisis.
“For APC, this is another headache. Tinubu is already battling public anger over hardship, insecurity, inflation, and broken expectations.
“Now imagine facing a former president with nostalgia value, a soft public image, and a familiar national network. That is not a small challenge,” the party added.
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