PDP State Chairmen Send Message to Jonathan Over 2027 Contest

The Forum of State Chairmen of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on former President Goodluck Jonathan to publicly distance himself from a rival group involved in the party’s leadership crisis.

According to the group, the former president’s name should not be used to promote activities it described as illegal ahead of the 2027 general election.

The chairmen also urged security agencies to investigate the group, led by former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki (SAN), over allegations of forgery, impersonation and the alleged distortion of court judgments linked to the party’s prolonged internal leadership dispute.

The demands were made on Monday during a press conference in Abuja by the Chairman of the PDP Chairmen’s Forum, Austin Nwachukwu, who spoke on behalf of the 36 state chairmen and the chairman of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Nwachukwu accused members of the rival camp of continuing to present themselves as leaders of the PDP despite court rulings which, according to him, had already resolved the dispute over the party’s national leadership.

He said the actions of the group were capable of creating confusion within the party and misleading members of the public.

According to him, the forum has confidence in the country’s judicial process and insisted that only one leadership is recognised under the law.

“Their utter disrespect for the rule of law, their breach of peace and reckless utterances pose a clear and present danger to public order,” Nwachukwu said.

The forum maintained that the authentic leadership of the PDP remains the National Working Committee headed by National Chairman Abdulraham Mohammed and National Secretary Samuel Nnaemeka Anyanwu.

The state chairmen urged security agencies to investigate what they described as the “criminal and malicious forgery and distortion of court judgments,” arguing that those responsible should be held accountable in line with the law.

They said allowing such actions to continue without consequences could weaken public confidence in judicial decisions and encourage further violations.

The forum also appealed directly to former President Goodluck Jonathan, asking him to openly reject any attempt to associate him with the activities of the rival group.

According to the chairmen, Jonathan’s continued silence on the matter could be interpreted as support for the faction, a development they warned could affect his standing as a respected elder statesman.

“It is public knowledge that your name is being used by these people to perpetuate their activities. This must stop,” the forum stated.

The chairmen further alleged that Jonathan’s name was unlawfully submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the rival group, despite the party’s officially uploaded list of candidates.

They argued that the action was inconsistent with the party’s internal processes and electoral guidelines governing the submission of candidates.

The forum also called on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to order a security assessment of an office located in Area 10, Garki, Abuja.

According to the chairmen, the facility is allegedly being used as a base for activities capable of threatening public peace and creating further divisions within the PDP.

They said security agencies should determine the nature of the activities taking place there and take appropriate action if any laws have been violated.

In addition, the state chairmen urged the PDP National Working Committee to begin contempt proceedings and other legal actions against members of the rival group.

They accused them of impersonation, forgery and deliberately refusing to comply with existing court orders on the party’s leadership structure.

The forum insisted that the legal battles surrounding the PDP leadership had already been settled by competent courts and accused the rival camp of deliberately misleading party members through what it described as false interpretations of judicial decisions.

According to Nwachukwu, certified true copies of the relevant court judgments would soon be presented to journalists to remove any uncertainty about the legal position.

The state chairmen also expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the party’s primary elections, describing the exercise as transparent and credible.

Nevertheless, they commended the leadership for successfully uploading the names of the party’s candidates to INEC, including that of the PDP’s presidential candidate, Senator Sandy Onor.