Jonathan’s ratification marred as thugs disrupt PDP convention

Suspected thugs disrupted a gathering of the Kabiru Turaki-led faction of the PDP in Abuja after the group ratified former President Goodluck Jonathan as its 2027 presidential candidate.

Suspected thugs on Saturday disrupted a gathering of the Kabiru Turaki-led factional Interim National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the A-Class Event Centre in Abuja, forcing party leaders, journalists and stakeholders to flee the venue. The incident occurred shortly after the factional leadership relocated from its Area 10 office, where it held a Special National Convention and ratified former President Goodluck Jonathan as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.

According to party leaders, the convention was moved to the Area 10 office after security personnel barricaded the A-Class Event Centre, which had been scheduled to host the event. Following the ratification ceremony, the factional leadership returned to the event centre to engage police personnel stationed at the venue. However, moments after Turaki concluded his remarks, hoodlums reportedly arrived in two coaster buses armed with sticks and launched an attack on party officials who were preparing to leave the area.

Addressing supporters before the disruption, Turaki, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), insisted that party members had a constitutional right to assemble and associate freely. “No matter how highly opinionated they may be about themselves, or no matter how they think that they can use their positions to thwart democracy, we want to tell them that Nigeria is bigger than anybody and any group of persons. We will not fight. The time of fighting will come when we meet at the polls. We will meet you there, we’ll fight you there, we’ll defeat you there, and then we will pin you down on the ground,” he said. He also urged delegates to remain calm, saying, “I want to plead with our delegates, please go back to your respective destinations. Resist any amount of provocation.” Peace was later restored following the intervention of security personnel.

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