The faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, led by Tanimu Turaki, SAN, will on Tuesday screen a lone presidential aspirant believed to be former President Goodluck Jonathan ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The screening is part of a nationwide exercise involving more than 3,000 aspirants seeking various elective offices on the platform of the party.
Although the PDP statement referred only to “one presidential aspirant,” THISDAY reported that inquiries revealed the aspirant to be Jonathan.
The screening committee for the presidential aspirant includes former Vice-President Namadi Sambo, former Plateau State Governor, Jonah Jang, and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tom Ikimi.
Other members of the committee are Chief Olabode George, Babangida Aliyu, Maryam Ciroma, Zainab Maina, Josephine Anenih, Dr Abdul Bulama, Dr Esther Uduehi, Edo State PDP Chairman, Tony Aziegbemi, Dr Sunday Solarin and Chief Anicho Okoro, who will serve as administrative secretary.
The development comes days after the faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, disclosed that Jonathan had successfully registered as a PDP member under the party’s fresh digital registration exercise.
The faction, which is backed by Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, said the screening exercise would hold nationwide on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.
According to the party, the exercise will cover 748 House of Representatives aspirants, 198 senatorial aspirants, 112 governorship aspirants and 2,122 State House of Assembly aspirants.
The Interim National Working Committee, iNWC, also released the names of members of the screening committees and screening appeal panels.
The party said the publication of the screening details was in line with its guidelines and timetable for the conduct of the 2027 general elections.
Jonathan’s reported emergence as the only presidential aspirant in the faction is expected to intensify political conversations around the 2027 race, especially amid recent speculation over whether the former president would return to active presidential politics.
Meanwhile, former Imo State Deputy Governor, Eze Madumere, has declared his readiness to contest the Owerri Zone senatorial seat on the platform of the PDP.
Madumere said he had the political reach, experience and support required to win the election for the party.
“I have the political reach, capability and capacity to win this election for our great party, the PDP. My name is not a strange name in Imo State. The people know me. They know my track record. They know what I stand for, which represents equity and justice,” he said.
