The Forum of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) State Chairmen, has expressed displeasure over the continued use of the name of former President Goodluck Jonathan by the Interim National Working Committee (INWC), claiming he is the party’s 2027 presidential candidate.

It urged Jonathan to publicly disassociate himself from the group.

The INWC, which is chaired by Dr Tanimu Turaki, had manually submitted the name of Jonathan and the National Assembly candidates of the camp to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) when the umpire did not grant the camp access codes to upload the names.

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP, chaired by Honourable Abdulrahman Mohammed, and recognised by INEC, received access codes and uploaded the names of the party’s presidential candidate, Senator Sandy Onor, and all National Assembly candidates to the INEC portal.

Jonathan’s name was conspicuously missing from the names of qualified candidates just published by INEC, an indication that the umpire did not recognise him as a candidate of the PDP.

Monday, the PDP state chairmen called on Jonathan to save his name and integrity by disowning the Turaki-led INWC, knowing well that the party had no faction or leadership other than the NWC led by Honourable Mohammed.

The Chairman of the Forum and chairman of the Imo State chapter of the PDP, Honourable Austin Nwachukwu, who addressed a news conference in Abuja on behalf of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), urged Jonathan to stop encouraging the Turaki-led camp by allowing the group to continue to use his name.

“We call on you, in view of the global image and moral authority you command, to address Nigerians directly and disassociate yourself from the continuous use of your name in this spectacle of macabre dance by expelled PDP…