Escalating tensions within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have come to a head over rival camps' moves concerning presidential candidacies, with former President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan maintaining a notable silence amidst the growing political drama. Two distinct factions emerged, one loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and another backed by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, led by Tanimu Turaki.

The Makinde-backed PDP faction, under Tanimu Turaki, had boldly declared its intention to affirm Jonathan as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election. This faction claimed to have screened and cleared the former president on a Tuesday, a day when the Federal High Court in Abuja also ruled Jonathan eligible to contest in future presidential elections, effectively dismissing a suit aimed at barring him due to having taken the oath of office twice as president.

However, simultaneously on that same Tuesday, the Wike-backed PDP, led by Abdulrahman Mohammed, took a contrasting path. This group affirmed and issued a certificate to Prof. Sandy Onor as their chosen presidential candidate, dismissing the entire Jonathan candidacy saga as unfounded. Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, who served as president from 2009 to 2015 on the PDP platform, remained conspicuously silent throughout these developments, neither confirming nor denying the claims of his adoption by the Turaki group. His last public comment on the 2027 presidency, made three weeks prior, indicated he would consult widely on the matter.

Reacting to the planned affirmation of Jonathan, the Wike-backed PDP accused the Turaki faction of instigating political tension. The group called on security agencies to investigate and prosecute those behind what it described as attempts to create confusion within the country. Furthermore, they urged Jonathan to publicly dissociate himself from reports linking him to the planned convention, branding the move as false, unauthorized, and capable of causing internal party strife. The Wike faction emphasized that no recognized organ of the PDP had approved or scheduled such a convention, insisting that the party had already concluded all its primary elections in line with legal and constitutional requirements.

Despite these accusations and warnings, the PDP bloc aligned with Makinde and led by Turaki remained steadfast. They insisted that their special convention to ratify Jonathan’s candidature would proceed as planned in Abuja. This faction accused Minister Wike of attempting to frustrate their gathering, even alleging threats to shut down the proposed venue, the A Class Event Centre in Wuse 2, Abuja.

These allegations followed a warning issued by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Friday. The FCTA, through a statement from the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the FCT Minister, Lere Olayinka, cautioned owners of hotels, event centres, and other public facilities in Abuja against allowing their premises to be used by “illegal organizations.” The warning explicitly stated that property titles of offenders risked revocation, stressing that all lands within the FCT are strictly designated for lawful use. The FCTA indicated that public venues would be closely monitored to prevent activities capable of undermining public peace and security, particularly with heightened political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.

On Saturday, security operatives acted on these warnings, sealing off the A-Class Event Centre. Police officers barricaded all access routes to the facility with patrol vans, effectively preventing party members, delegates, and supporters from gaining entry to the planned convention. A police officer confirmed that no political event had been approved to be held at the facility. This decisive action underscored the FCT Administration's resolve to enforce its directive and marked a significant escalation in the internal PDP conflict, further deepening divisions within the opposition party.