The Wike-backed faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has declared victory after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) published Senator Sandy Onor as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, dealing a crushing blow to the rival camp backing former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The party said months of speculation that it would fail to produce a presidential candidate had finally been put to rest, insisting its critics had been proved wrong.
In a statement on Sunday, National Publicity Secretary Jungudo Mohammed described INEC’s publication of Onor and his running mate, Babangida Umar, as a landmark victory and a clear sign that the party was ready for the 2027 showdown.
He said the move had buried what he called a campaign of misinformation aimed at convincing Nigerians that the PDP would miss the presidential race because of its internal crisis.
“For months, they told Nigerians the PDP would not have a candidate. Today, the facts have spoken, the law has taken its course, and the PDP has been vindicated,” the party declared.
The faction thanked its members for standing firm through months of leadership tussles and court battles, while praising INEC, the judiciary and security agencies for upholding the rule of law.
It also appealed to aggrieved members to return to the party, saying unity was crucial to reclaiming power in 2027, and welcomed new defectors as proof that confidence in the PDP was growing.
The development is expected to deepen the PDP’s internal battle, with the recognition of Onor seen as a major setback for the rival faction led by former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki.
The Turaki camp had adopted former President Goodluck Jonathan as its own presidential candidate and last week claimed it manually submitted Jonathan’s name to INEC after failing to secure the electronic access code required for online submission.
However, INEC’s final list featured Onor, handing the Wike-backed camp a major political boost ahead of the 2027 election.
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