…Udayi Julius presents full ticket, insists Turaki-led NWC is authentic
CALABAR – The leadership crisis in the Cross River State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a dramatic turn yesterday as a faction loyal to former Minister Tanimu Turaki (SAN) unveiled a parallel list of candidates for the 2027 general elections, deepening the party’s internal rift just months before the polls NEGROIDHAVEN can report.
Addressing journalists at the NUJ Secretariat in Calabar, Julius Udayi, who presented himself as the party’s governorship candidate, flanked by candidates for the three senatorial seats, eight House of Representatives seats, and 25 State Assembly seats, declared that the Turaki-led National Working Committee remains the “authentic and legally recognized” leadership of the party.
The press conference, which the faction described as necessary to set the records straight, was a direct challenge to the rival camp loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, which has insisted that Sir Arthur Jarvis Archibong remains the party’s authentic governorship candidate.
‘We Are the Authentic Candidates’
Udayi, a tax consultant, told journalists that his emergence and that of the other candidates were based on the judgments of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, which he said affirmed the Turaki-led NWC as the legitimate leadership of the party.
“Following the judgments of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, it is our position that the Tanimu Turaki (SAN)-led leadership remains the authentic and legally recognized leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). It is under this leadership that all of us standing before you today emerged as duly nominated candidates of the party,” Udayi said.
He warned that certain individuals were “falsely parading themselves” as PDP candidates under a different platform and urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, and the general public to disregard their claims.
“We call on all party faithful, supporters, stakeholders, security agencies, INEC, and the general public to disregard any misleading claims or political misinformation designed to create confusion among the electorate,” he added.
Court Battles Loom
The PDP crisis in Cross River is part of a broader national leadership struggle within the party, which has pitted the Turaki-led NWC against the Wike-backed faction. A Federal High Court in Abuja recently declined to compel INEC to recognize the Turaki-led NWC, but the faction has insisted that superior court judgments support its position.
The development has created confusion among party supporters and raised questions about which candidates INEC will recognize for the 2027 elections.
INEC in Tight Spot
With the PDP presenting parallel candidates for virtually every elective position in Cross River State, INEC faces a dilemma. The electoral commission has not yet officially recognized any faction, but it must do so before the elections.
Political analysts say the crisis could hand the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) an advantage in the state, as a divided PDP may struggle to mount a unified challenge against Governor Bassey Otu, who is seeking re-election.
