Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has maintained that Senator Sandy Onor remains the only validly nominated presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2027 election, dismissing attempts by a rival group within the party to endorse former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Speaking during his monthly media briefing in Abuja on Monday, Wike questioned the legitimacy of endorsing a candidate who has neither declared an interest in the presidential race nor accepted such a nomination.
The minister’s comments followed reports that separate groups within the PDP had produced different presidential candidates at the weekend, with one bloc backing Onor while another endorsed Jonathan in absentia.
“Do you pick someone who has not told you he wants to run for an election?” Wike asked.
He argued that the PDP remains one political party operating through recognised structures and insisted that there was no basis for claims of parallel leadership or competing candidates.
“There is no faction in the PDP. The only presidential candidate of the PDP is Sandy Onor,” he said.
Wike also cited the role of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in recognising political party structures, stressing that the commission acknowledges the PDP national secretariat at Wadata Plaza, Abuja, as the party’s official headquarters.
According to him, decisions taken outside recognised party organs cannot supersede those of the duly constituted leadership.
“INEC must know the secretariat of all political parties. The INEC-recognised PDP secretariat is Wadata Plaza and not anyone’s private office or bedroom,” he stated.
The remarks come amid renewed internal tensions within the PDP as rival groups struggle for control of the party ahead of the 2027 general election.
Jonathan, whose name was put forward by one faction, has yet to publicly comment on the endorsement or indicate whether he intends to seek the presidency.
Wike’s intervention adds a new dimension to the leadership dispute, highlighting the broader challenge facing the PDP as it seeks to rebuild unity and present a coherent front before the next electoral cycle.
