Former President Goodluck Jonathan is set to be screened by the Kabiru Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the party’s sole presidential aspirant ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The screening exercise is scheduled to hold on Tuesday as part of preparations for the party’s primaries and nomination processes across the country.
In a statement released by the faction on Sunday, the party announced that all aspirants vying for various elective offices would undergo screening beginning at 10 a.m.
According to the statement, thousands of aspirants are expected to participate in the exercise, including 2,122 aspirants for state houses of assembly, 748 House of Representatives contenders, 198 senatorial hopefuls, 112 governorship aspirants, and one presidential aspirant.
Although the statement did not officially reveal the identity of the lone presidential contender, party sources later confirmed that former President Jonathan is the only aspirant cleared for the presidential screening.
Efforts to obtain comments from the party’s spokesperson, Ini Ememobong, were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.
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The development has intensified political discussions within the opposition party as preparations gradually gather momentum ahead of the 2027 elections.
The 14-member presidential screening committee is reportedly made up of several prominent PDP figures and elder statesmen.
Among those listed on the committee are former Vice-President Namadi Sambo, former Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang, and former Minister of Foreign Affairs Tom Ikimi.
Other members include PDP chieftain Olabode George, former Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu, Maryam Ciroma, Zainab Maina, Josephine Anenih, Abdul Bulama, Esther Uduehi, Tony Aziegbemi, Sunday Solari, and Anicho Okoro, who will serve as administrative secretary.
The party stated that the composition of the screening committee received approval during the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held recently.
“This publication is in accordance with the party’s guidelines and timetable for the conduct of the 2027 general election,” the statement noted.
Jonathan, who served as Nigeria’s president from 2010 to 2015, has remained a major political figure within the PDP and the wider African political space since leaving office.
His possible return to frontline presidential politics is expected to trigger fresh debates within both the ruling and opposition camps as political alignments ahead of 2027 continue to take shape.
