Jonathan yet to pick presidential form — PDP

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South-East, Ray Nnaji, has said former President Goodluck Jonathan has not obtained the party’s presidential nomination form ahead of the 2027 elections.

Speaking during a radio programme on Dream FM in Enugu, Nnaji dismissed claims that Jonathan had already entered the race, describing such reports as misleading and politically motivated.

According to him, while the former president had previously indicated he was consulting, he has not made any formal declaration to contest the presidency.

“Jonathan has not said he is running, yet some people claim he has even been screened. These are gimmicks aimed at using his name,” Nnaji said.

He further alleged that certain individuals might be exploiting the situation for financial gain, adding that such actions could attract investigation by security agencies.

Nnaji also advised Jonathan against joining the race, warning that it could tarnish his reputation, particularly given his decision to concede defeat as an incumbent president in 2015.

“It would be a mistake for him to run. He built a strong legacy by peacefully handing over power, and contesting again could diminish that,” he added.

On the controversy surrounding the PDP governorship ticket in Enugu State, Nnaji dismissed reports of factional candidates, insisting the party remains united.

He explained that both Mr Samson Nnamani and Chief Uche Nnaji had initially obtained nomination forms and were cleared by the party’s National Working Committee to contest.

However, he alleged that Nnamani violated party rules through public statements deemed anti-party, leading to a petition against him and his subsequent suspension after failing to respond to summons.

Nnaji said despite the suspension, Nnamani continued actions contrary to party directives, including claims of emerging as the party’s candidate through an unauthorised process.

He clarified that the official PDP primaries were conducted by a team from Abuja led by Austin Nwachukwu, and that the legitimate outcome has already been submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), recognising Uche Nnaji as the party’s candidate.

He also dismissed the involvement of individuals allegedly backing parallel claims, stating they were not recognised by the party leadership.