Abuja, Nigeria — The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has granted a waiver to former President Goodluck Jonathan, clearing him of the standard screening process as the party formally commenced nationwide vetting of aspirants ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The decision was disclosed in Abuja on Tuesday by Babangida Aliyu, a former governor of Niger State and member of the PDP screening committee, who said Jonathan’s extensive political experience made further screening unnecessary.
“As you know, the party had already given a presidential aspirant the waiver… he was deputy governor, became governor, became vice president, and president. We saw no need for screening,” Aliyu said.
He added that Jonathan, along with a former deputy governor and ambassador, as well as PDP official Tawfik Arakwaja, had been cleared under the waiver arrangement.
Aliyu confirmed that the screening exercise is ongoing across the country, covering thousands of aspirants for various elective positions, including 2,122 House of Assembly aspirants, 748 House of Representatives aspirants, 198 senatorial aspirants, 112 governorship aspirants, and one presidential aspirant.
According to the party, the process began on May 19, 2026, at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja and will continue in line with its approved election timetable.
On Tuesday, 12 governorship aspirants appeared before the screening committee, including Senator Joel Ikenya, Benedict Etanabene, Sherif Abdullahi, and Ibrahim Abdullahi Manga, alongside eight others.
Senator Ikenya, who is contesting the Taraba governorship ticket, said his ambition is driven by the need to tackle poverty through agriculture and improve healthcare delivery in the state. He also stressed that insecurity requires joint responsibility between government and citizens.
Delta governorship aspirant Benedict Etanabene proposed a governance model focused on job creation, grassroots development, and structured local government funding tied to accountability and auditing.
In Yobe State, Sherif Abdullahi identified insecurity as a major challenge but said details of his security strategy would remain confidential, stressing federal responsibility in addressing the crisis.
Meanwhile, Kebbi governorship aspirant Ibrahim Abdullahi Manga pledged to prioritise insecurity and economic recovery, calling for renewed investment in education and youth empowerment, including a revival of former Almajiri intervention programmes.
The PDP screening and appeal committees were constituted following resolutions of the party’s National Executive Committee and Interim National Working Committee, in line with preparations for the 2027 polls.
Party officials expressed confidence in the process, describing it as a step toward strengthening internal democracy and positioning the PDP for competitive elections nationwide.
