The Interim National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise and publish the name of former President  as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.

The faction made this known on Saturday while addressing a press conference, where it also disclosed that it had appealed a Federal High Court judgment concerning the party’s leadership.

Speaking on behalf of the Interim NWC, the National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, accused INEC of institutional bias and warned the commission against recognising candidates submitted by a rival leadership within the party.

According to Ememobong, the interim leadership emerged following a Supreme Court judgment which, in the faction’s view, left the PDP without a legally recognised national leadership. He explained that the Board of Trustees and the National Executive Committee subsequently convened and constituted the interim body, which was duly communicated to INEC.

He further revealed that the faction approached the Federal High Court in Abuja after INEC allegedly refused to acknowledge the Interim NWC despite multiple notifications and reminders.

Ememobong criticised the judgment delivered by Justice Salim Oluwasupo Ibrahim, arguing that it conflicted with earlier rulings of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal.

“The judgment delivered by Justice Salim Oluwasupo Ibrahim reads more like an appeal on the judgment of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal,” he said. “It is clearly inconsistent with the extant decisions of the superior courts that form the foundation of our case.”

He added that the ruling went beyond its scope by revisiting matters already settled by higher courts, prompting the faction to exercise its constitutional right of appeal.

The PDP spokesman also alleged delays in the release of the Certified True Copy of the judgment and claimed that some aspects of the decision delivered in open court were not fully reflected in the certified document.

“This development raises legitimate concerns, which will also be addressed through the appropriate legal processes,” he stated.

Expressing confidence in the appellate process, Ememobong said the Court of Appeal would clarify the issues and uphold previous decisions of superior courts.

He further accused INEC of failing to act impartially in disputes involving the PDP, alleging that the commission ignored congresses it had previously monitored when doing so conflicted with its positions in court.

“The Commission’s filings, its arguments before the courts, and its refusal to comply with favourable court orders have collectively created an impression of institutional bias,” he said.

The faction warned that declining public confidence in INEC could undermine the credibility of future elections. It also referenced a widely circulated image purportedly showing INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, wearing a cap bearing the insignia of President Bola Tinubu. While acknowledging that the image may have been generated using artificial intelligence, the party said its circulation reflected public concerns about neutrality.

The interim leadership urged INEC to exercise caution pending the outcome of the appeal, warning against actions that could prejudice the legal process.

“If the Commission proceeds to publish the names of persons other than those validly sponsored by the authentic leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, it will only deepen public concerns regarding its neutrality,” Ememobong warned.

The faction also disclosed that it had manually submitted its list of candidates after INEC allegedly failed to provide access codes required for electronic submission. Ememobong argued that such codes are administrative tools and not a legal requirement under the Electoral Act 2026.

He stated that the submission, which was acknowledged by INEC, included the name of  as the presidential candidate, alongside governorship, National Assembly and state House of Assembly candidates.

“Notwithstanding INEC’s refusal to provide us with the necessary access codes, we have successfully submitted, manually and in full compliance with the Electoral Act 2026, the list of candidates sponsored by the authentic Peoples Democratic Party,” he said.

The faction urged party members and supporters to remain resolute, even if INEC publishes names submitted by a rival group. It maintained that its candidates remain confident in the judicial process.

Ememobong described the leadership crisis as part of a broader struggle to safeguard Nigeria’s multi-party democracy and prevent opposition parties from being weakened.

“Electoral authoritarianism is fundamentally incompatible with democratic consolidation,” he said. “It reduces elections to mere rituals rather than genuine expressions of the people’s sovereign will.”

He concluded by affirming the faction’s commitment to pursuing legal and constitutional means to secure recognition.

“With God on our side, victory is certain, even if delayed,” Ememobong added. “We understood from the beginning that this struggle would be a marathon, not a sprint.”