Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has accused the faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Tanimu Turaki of deceiving political aspirants by claiming to have authority to nominate candidates for the 2027 elections.
Speaking on Thursday, Wike said the faction aligned with him already possesses the official access codes issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for uploading candidates to the commission’s nomination portal. According to him, this demonstrates that INEC recognizes his faction for the ongoing nomination process.
Wike argued that the Turaki-led group lacks the necessary authorization to submit candidates and therefore cannot validly participate in the nomination process. He maintained that aspirants dealing with that faction risk being misled because only groups recognized by INEC can complete candidate submissions.
The statement comes amid a deepening leadership dispute within the PDP, with rival factions laying claim to the party’s structure and nomination authority ahead of the 2027 general elections. The disagreement has centered on the authenticity of nomination forms, control of party machinery, and access to INEC’s candidate-upload platform.
Wike insisted that his faction has already completed necessary procedures with INEC and urged party members and aspirants to disregard claims from the rival camp. The Turaki faction, however, has continued to maintain that its actions are lawful and backed by its interpretation of existing court decisions.
