Jonathan Still Our Member, Says Turaki-led PDP

The Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said former president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, remains a registered member of the party under its leadership, adding that he recently participated in the party’s digital membership registration exercise.

It stated this while dismissing as fake, a series of campaign posters circulating on social media linking  Jonathan to various political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In a statement issued yesterday by the faction’s national publicity secretary, Ini Ememobong, the group warned Nigerians against associating Jonathan with any political platform outside the PDP.

The statement, titled “Beware of Fake GEJ Campaign Posters,” said the posters falsely portrayed Jonathan either as a standalone presidential aspirant or paired with other prominent Nigerians as running mates.

“Campaign posters bearing the photographs of President Goodluck Jonathan, either alone or paired with other notable Nigerians as running mate, have emerged and are being circulated widely on social media platforms,” the statement said.

According to the faction, the posters also “falsely portray him as a member of the various political parties whose logos appear on them.”

The Turaki-led PDP maintained that Jonathan remains a registered member of the party under its leadership and recently participated in the party’s digital membership registration exercise.

“We state categorically that President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is a registered member of the Peoples Democratic Party under the capable leadership of Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN),” the statement said, “He duly registered personally in his ward during the recently concluded digital membership registration exercise — a fact he personally confirmed to members of the Interim National Working Committee during a meeting with him yesterday.”

The faction said the clarification became necessary because of the provisions of the Electoral Act, warning that double political party registration is prohibited and punishable under Nigerian law.

“This clarification has become necessary in view of the provisions of the extant Electoral Act, under which double registration is not only prohibited but also punishable,” the statement added.

The party also alleged that some individuals could attempt to manipulate party databases by registering Jonathan and other political figures in multiple parties without their consent.

“We are aware that mischief makers may not only design and circulate fake campaign posters, but may also, in concert with highly placed collaborators, attempt to input the details of President Jonathan and other prominent members of our party and the opposition movement into the databases of different political parties,” it stated.

The PDP faction called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the general public to disregard any such activities.

“We therefore put the public, especially the Independent National Electoral Commission, on notice of this malfeasance and urge them to discountenance any such fraudulent activity,” the statement concluded.