Turaki PDP adopts Jonathan despite thugs invasion ofconvention venue

•Party alleges intimidation

By Luminous Jannamike

ABUJA — Armed thugs wielding sticks and other dangerous weapons, yesterday, stormed a special Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) convention in Abuja, disrupting the formal ratification of former President Goodluck Jonathan as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections and sending delegates, supporters and journalists fleeing for safety.

The disruption overshadowed what organisers had called a key moment for the party, as delegates gathered to ratify Jonathan’s adoption.

Several attendees were reportedly assaulted, while mobile phones and other valuables were stolen during the attack.

Hours before the violence, party leaders had gathered at a private residence serving as the PDP Interim National Working Committee secretariat in Area 10, Garki, where the event took place.

Moving the motion, Edo State PDP Chairman and Chairman of  PDP State Chairmen’s Forum, Dr Tony Aziegbemi, said the endorsement reflected the position of party leaders across the country.

“On behalf of all the state chairmen that conducted free, fair and credible primaries in their various states, and having adopted President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan as our sole presidential candidate, I hereby move that this special convention ratify the motion,” Aziegbemi said.

Seconding the motion, Senator Mohamed Sanusi Dagash said the party remained committed to its national mission despite its challenges.

“I stand to second the motion moved by my brother, Dr Tony Aziegbemi, in adopting General Goodluck Ebele Jonathan as our sole candidate and presidential candidate for the electorate,” Dagash said.

Following the ratification, former Information Minister, Prof. Jerry Gana, presented the party’s Certificate of Return to Jonathan.

Mr. Fred Agbedi received the certificate on behalf of the former president before supporters, delegates, former ministers, state officials and journalists proceeded to the convention venue at the A-Class Event Centre

Speaking during the presentation, Gana expressed sadness over what he described as the state of Nigeria’s democracy.

“It is with great pain that I see this situation, that so many years after democracy, we’re still being reduced to this,” he said.

Recalling the negotiations that paved the way for Nigeria’s return to civilian rule, Gana said one of the major achievements of that process was the creation of an electoral commission intended to operate independently of political influence.

“Today’s INEC is not independent. Today’s INEC is really a mess. And if you don’t have a good umpire, you can’t have good elections. And democracy cannot survive if you can’t have good elections. That’s why we’re here,” Gana said.

He also criticised attempts to frustrate the gathering.

“This is a disgrace. Let the whole world know that Nigerian democracy is under challenge because people cannot meet freely,” he said.

Earlier at the party secretariat, Interim National Chairman Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, defended the legitimacy of the interim leadership and the convention, saying its actions were based on recent court judgments and the PDP constitution.

“What we are doing today is in line with the judgment of the Supreme Court, which affirmed the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division,” he said.

Turaki added that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had been duly informed of the party’s activities and expressed confidence that the process would be recognised.

“We know what we are doing,” he said.

The gathering later moved to the A-Class Event Centre for the convention, where Turaki urged supporters to remain peaceful and avoid confrontation.

“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,” Turaki told delegates.

He subsequently declared the special convention concluded and appealed to participants to return peacefully to their destinations.

“Resist any amount of provocation. Any person you see trying to fight, believe that he does not have the chance of winning,” he said.

Minutes later, armed thugs invaded the venue, scattering delegates, party officials, supporters and journalists as panic swept through the hall.

A party supporter who witnessed the attack and requested anonymity told Sunday Vanguard that the incident left many attendees shaken and frustrated.

“The snatching of phones and other valuables by those thugs is very sad and shocking. I also ran away, even though I had parked far from the venue. People were scampering for safety in different directions,” he said.

The attack effectively brought the convention to an abrupt end, leaving the party’s effort to formally ratify its adopted presidential candidate overshadowed by scenes of disorder, fear and confusion.

Meanwhile, the party accused the federal government of frustrating its convention  through  intimidation and heavy security deployment, which it said prevented the event from proceeding as planned.

The position was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the convention and signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP Interim National Working Committee, Comrade Ini Ememobong.

According to the party, it had duly notified the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and relevant security agencies of activities relating to the selection of candidates for elective offices.

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