The Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has levelled explosive allegations against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), accusing the electoral umpire of orchestrating a deliberate campaign to weaken the opposition, hijack the party and ultimately impose a one-party state ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The faction alleged that INEC has abandoned its constitutional duty of neutrality and is actively collaborating with forces determined to cripple the PDP and deny Nigerians a credible democratic alternative.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Saturday by the National Publicity Secretary of the party’s Interim National Working Committee (INWC), Ini Ememobong, the faction maintained that despite what it described as sustained obstruction by INEC, it had successfully submitted its list of candidates to the commission, including former President Goodluck Jonathan as its presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
According to Ememobong, the Interim National Working Committee was lawfully constituted by the PDP Board of Trustees and a member-requisitioned National Executive Committee after a Supreme Court judgment allegedly left the party without a legally recognised national leadership.
He explained that the emergence of the interim leadership was aimed at preserving the party’s constitutional structure and ensuring its continued participation in Nigeria’s democratic process.
Ememobong said the decision establishing the Interim National Working Committee was formally communicated to INEC in accordance with the Electoral Act and other relevant laws. However, he alleged that the commission deliberately refused to recognise the leadership despite repeated notifications and compliance with legal procedures.
The PDP faction disclosed that it subsequently approached the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking an order compelling INEC to accord official recognition to the Interim National Working Committee.
However, the party expressed strong dissatisfaction with the judgment delivered by Justice Salim Oluwasupo Ibrahim, arguing that the ruling contradicted established decisions of both the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal.
According to the party, the trial court ventured into legal issues that had already been conclusively settled by superior courts, thereby creating what it described as an unnecessary constitutional conflict.
“The judgment reads more like an appeal against the decisions of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal. It is clearly inconsistent with the extant decisions of both courts that form the foundation of our case,” Ememobong stated.
He disclosed that the PDP had already filed an appeal challenging the judgment and expressed confidence that the appellate court would overturn what the party considers a legally defective decision.
The faction also alleged irregularities surrounding the release of the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment.
According to Ememobong, the court document was released after what he described as an unusual delay and failed to accurately reflect certain aspects of the judgment delivered in open court.
He said the development had raised serious legal concerns that would be addressed through appropriate judicial channels.
Turning his attention to INEC, Ememobong accused the electoral commission of deliberately withholding material facts during court proceedings involving the PDP.
He alleged that congresses previously conducted and monitored by INEC were later denied before the courts because acknowledging them would have undermined the commission’s legal arguments.
The PDP faction maintained that the conduct of the electoral body has reinforced growing public concerns that it is no longer acting as an independent and impartial institution.
The party further alleged that INEC has consistently refused to comply with court orders favourable to the PDP while allegedly adopting actions designed to frustrate the opposition’s lawful activities.
According to the faction, such conduct has created the impression that the commission has abandoned its constitutional responsibility to serve as an unbiased electoral umpire.
In one of its strongest attacks yet, the Turaki-led PDP faction criticised the leadership of INEC, claiming public confidence in the commission has deteriorated significantly.
Ememobong noted that the commission’s chairman has become one of the most criticised electoral officials in recent political history, pointing to the widespread circulation of an image on social media purportedly showing him wearing a cap bearing the insignia of President Bola Tinubu.
Although he acknowledged that the image may have been generated using artificial intelligence, he argued that its widespread circulation reflected what he described as the public’s perception of the chairman’s alleged partisanship.
The PDP faction warned INEC against publishing the names of candidates allegedly submitted by individuals it described as unauthorised persons instead of those sponsored by the Interim National Working Committee.
It insisted that any responsible electoral management body confronted with conflicting court decisions and a pending appeal should exercise restraint until the legal process had been fully concluded.
The party warned that recognising any rival list of candidates would only deepen public suspicion over the commission’s neutrality and independence.
The faction also alleged that INEC denied it access codes required for the electronic submission of candidates but said it nevertheless complied with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 by manually submitting its list of candidates.
According to the party, the submission included former President Goodluck Jonathan as its presidential candidate, alongside governorship, National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly candidates across the federation.
The party said INEC officially acknowledged receipt of the documents.
Ememobong urged PDP members and supporters not to lose hope if INEC eventually publishes a different list of candidates, assuring them that the party would continue to pursue every available constitutional and legal remedy to defend what it described as the legitimate mandate of its leadership.
He warned that any attempt to weaken opposition political parties through the manipulation of electoral institutions amounted to “electoral authoritarianism” capable of undermining Nigeria’s democracy.
According to him, elections would lose all credibility once citizens begin to perceive the electoral commission as partisan rather than independent.
He therefore called on Nigerians and all democratic stakeholders to defend the country’s multi-party system, insisting that the survival of constitutional democracy depends on the independence, neutrality and credibility of INEC.
“We remain willing and prepared to endure to the very end, confident that when this difficult chapter in our nation’s political history is eventually closed, history will remember those who stood firmly for principle over expediency, courage over compromise and democracy over convenience,” Ememobong said.
The latest accusations have intensified the political battle between the Turaki-led PDP faction and INEC, setting the stage for what could become one of the most contentious legal and political confrontations as preparations for the 2027 general elections gather momentum.