A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party under Kabiru Turaki, SAN, has cleared former President Goodluck Jonathan to run for president in 2027 without undergoing the party’s screening process.

The announcement came Tuesday in Abuja from the faction’s screening panel. Speaking for the committee, former Niger State governor Babangida Aliyu said Jonathan’s track record as deputy governor, governor, vice president, and president made further screening unnecessary.

“Jonathan has been declared and cleared as the PDP candidate for the presidential election,” Aliyu stated.

The panel also extended the same waiver to PDP National Secretary Taofeek Arapaja. 

Aliyu noted that aspirants from Taraba, Adamawa, Kano, Akwa Ibom, Delta, and Yobe had already been screened, and the process would continue for others within the set timeframe.

The Turaki-led interim NWC is one of the factions in the PDP’s internal leadership tussle and is not currently recognized by INEC following recent court rulings.

Jonathan did not attend the screening at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, and has not publicly confirmed whether he will run or on which platform.