Wike-led PDP Faction Names Vice Presidential Candidate

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

A senior member of the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led National Working Committee disclosed that the decision followed consultations between the party leadership, the presidential candidate and other key stakeholders.

According to the source, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly on the matter, the details of both Onor and Umaru have already been uploaded to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal.

The source explained that the party leadership considered several options before agreeing on Umaru as the vice-presidential candidate after reaching a consensus with the presidential candidate.

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

The submission process began on June 27 and involved the filing of Forms EC9 and EC9A to EC9E in line with Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026.

The electoral commission also announced that the submission of nomination forms for governorship and state House of Assembly candidates would begin at 9:00 a.m. on July 18 and close at 6:00 p.m. on August 8.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mohammed Jungudo, confirmed that the party had completed the submission of its National Assembly candidates.

He also confirmed that the names of the party’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates had been uploaded to the INEC portal but declined to officially identify the vice-presidential candidate.

Jungudo stated that the party had successfully completed the National Assembly nomination process and had also submitted the names of its presidential and vice-presidential candidates. However, he maintained that only the national chairman or himself could officially announce the identity of the running mate.

He added that the party would now focus on completing the nomination process for governorship and state House of Assembly candidates before moving to the next phase of its campaign preparations.

According to him, the party is already working on the committees that will coordinate its campaigns once the nomination process is concluded.

Jungudo expressed confidence in the party’s readiness for the elections, saying ongoing legal matters would not affect its preparations or campaign plans.

He added that the names of the campaign committees would be announced at the appropriate time.

The party spokesman also urged all candidates to strengthen their engagement with party leaders and stakeholders in their constituencies to improve their chances at the polls.

He advised them to remain committed to the party’s goals and work closely with members at every level.

Jungudo said the PDP is aiming to secure a majority of seats in the National Assembly and state legislatures, while also targeting governorship victories in at least two-thirds of the states.

On the presidential election, he said the party would not disclose its campaign strategy at this stage but expressed confidence that its candidates remained optimistic about the contest.