By Ayomide Otitoju
A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki, on Saturday ratified former President Goodluck Jonathan as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election following a last-minute change of venue for its convention in Abuja.
The convention, which lasted less than 20 minutes, was relocated after police reportedly prevented party members from accessing the A Class Hotel in Abuja, the venue initially secured for the event.
At the convention, a certificate of nomination was presented on behalf of Jonathan and received by his ally, Fred Agbedi.
Prominent figures at the gathering included Prof. Jerry Gana, Tanimu Turaki, former Senate President Adolphus Wabara and other party members aligned with the Turaki-led faction.
Earlier, police vehicles were deployed to block the access roads leading to the A Class Hotel from the Wuse and Maitama areas, preventing convention attendees and other road users from reaching the premises.
The development followed a warning issued on Friday by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, cautioning hotels and event centres against hosting what he described as illegal political groups and organisations in the interest of security within the FCT.
Reacting to the situation, the PDP faction accused Wike of attempting to frustrate its planned convention.
In a statement, the party said the management of the A Class Event Centre informed it that pressure was being mounted on the facility to stop the event from taking place.
The faction maintained that it had fulfilled all requirements for the use of the venue, including payment, and had notified security agencies about the convention scheduled for May 30, 2026, in Wuse 2, Abuja.
Despite the challenges, the party insisted that the convention would proceed and described the actions against it as an attempt at intimidation.
During the event, Prof. Jerry Gana formally received Jonathan’s 2027 presidential nomination certificate on behalf of the former president.
