A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) reportedly aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has selected the party's National Vice-Chairman (North-East), Babangida Umaru, as the running mate to its presidential candidate, Sandy Onor, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

According to a senior member of the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led National Working Committee (NWC), the decision followed consultations between the presidential candidate and key party stakeholders.

The party official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment publicly on the matter, disclosed that Umaru was chosen after extensive deliberations.

The source also claimed that the details of both the presidential and vice-presidential candidates had been uploaded to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) nomination portal.

INEC had fixed 6:00 p.m. on July 11, 2026, as the deadline for political parties to submit nomination forms for presidential and National Assembly candidates through its online portal.

The nomination exercise, which commenced on June 27, requires political parties to submit Forms EC9 and EC9A to EC9E in line with the provisions of Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026.

The electoral commission also announced that nominations for governorship and state House of Assembly candidates would begin on July 18 and close on August 8.

Speaking on the party's preparations, PDP National Publicity Secretary Mohammed Jungudo confirmed that the party had successfully completed the upload of its National Assembly candidates.

He also acknowledged that the names of the party's presidential and vice-presidential candidates had been submitted to INEC but declined to officially identify the vice-presidential nominee.

According to Jungudo, only the party's national chairman or the national publicity secretary is authorised to officially announce the identity of the running mate.

He added that the PDP would now focus on completing the nomination process for governorship and state House of Assembly candidates before unveiling its campaign structure.

Jungudo expressed confidence in the party's readiness for the elections, insisting that ongoing legal disputes would not affect its preparations or campaign activities.

He urged party candidates to work closely with leaders and stakeholders across their constituencies, encouraging them to remain committed to strengthening the party ahead of the elections.

The spokesman further stated that the PDP was optimistic about winning a majority of seats in the National Assembly, securing victories in several governorship contests and mounting a strong challenge in the presidential election.

Rival PDP Faction Rejects Onor-Umaru Ticket

Meanwhile, the Tanimu Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee rejected reports of the Onor-Umaru ticket, maintaining that former President Goodluck Jonathan remains its presidential candidate.

The faction's Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, said the group does not recognise the activities of the Wike-backed leadership operating from the PDP national secretariat at Wadata Plaza in Abuja.

Ememobong insisted that Jonathan remains the faction's authentic presidential candidate, adding that no official communication had suggested otherwise.

Responding to questions about access to INEC's nomination portal, he said the matter would be addressed through the appropriate legal and administrative processes at the right time.

He also criticised the Federal Government, alleging that the political environment was not conducive to a healthy multi-party democracy. According to him, many Nigerians have become sceptical about the electoral process due to concerns over its credibility.

Ememobong concluded by saying the Turaki-led faction was not interested in the decisions being taken by the rival PDP leadership and would instead remain focused on pursuing its own political agenda ahead of the 2027 elections.