Jonathan Caught in PDP Factional Quagmire as 2027 Presidential Ambition Stirs Rival Blocs

Jonathan’s Potential Comeback Stirs a Fractured Party

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has not declared for the 2027 presidential race. He has not bought a form, made a public statement, or changed his party registration — at least not officially. But his name is everywhere, and two feuding factions of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are already fighting over who he belongs to.

Vanguard reported on Monday that Jonathan finds himself caught in the middle of PDP’s factional war, with both the Turaki-led and Makinde-aligned wings of the party claiming his loyalty or attempting to pull him into their corner ahead of what promises to be a brutal 2027 cycle.

Posters, Forms, and Denials

Campaign posters bearing Jonathan’s image have surfaced across social media, depicting him as a presidential aspirant on the platforms of various parties. The PDP, through its National Publicity Secretary Ini Ememobong, moved quickly to denounce them as fake.

“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,” Ememobong said in a statement. “These posters also falsely portray him as a member of various political parties.”

The party went further, warning that double registration is not only prohibited under the Electoral Act but is punishable — a pointed reminder aimed at anyone who might be quietly registering Jonathan’s details with rival parties. Ememobong confirmed that Jonathan personally reaffirmed his PDP membership during a meeting with the party’s Interim National Working Committee.

A Fight Over Who Owns Jonathan

The deeper problem for PDP is not the posters — it’s the internal war that is making Jonathan’s position so complicated. The party’s Turaki faction (aligned with Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, the party’s current national chairman) and the Makinde faction (aligned with Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and reportedly backed by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike) have been trading claims over party leadership legitimacy since the Supreme Court verdict that unsettled the party’s internal structure earlier this year.

Vanguard’s earlier reporting described the Turaki group as insisting PDP is “without clear leadership” after that ruling — a charge the Makinde faction contests. In this atmosphere, Jonathan’s potential candidacy becomes a prize both sides want to claim or shape.

Jonathan himself has not commented publicly. A court case testing his constitutional eligibility to contest — given that he already served as president — was adjourned until May 15, according to Naija News.

For now, 2027 remains a rumour attached to his name. But in Nigerian politics, that’s often how things start.

Sources: Vanguard, Naija News