Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Northern Nigeria have endorsed former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki (SAN), as their consensus candidate for the position of National Chairman ahead of the party’s national convention scheduled for November 15–16 in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The announcement was made by Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, who also serves as Chairman of the PDP National Convention Organising Committee.
Speaking after a meeting of Northern PDP leaders in Abuja on Wednesday night, Fintiri said Turaki emerged as the preferred choice after wide consultations across the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory.
According to Fintiri, “We have met this evening to deliberate on the position of the National Chairman of our great party, which was zoned to the North. After deep reflection and consultations, we have agreed to present K.T. Turaki, SAN, as our consensus candidate for the chairmanship position at the upcoming convention in Ibadan.”
He added that while Turaki has the backing of the Northern bloc, any other aspirant who wishes to contest is free to do so.
Tanimu Turaki is a senior lawyer with vast experience in constitutional law, election petitions, international law, arbitration, oil and gas, and corporate mergers.
He previously served as Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, as well as Supervising Minister of Labour and Productivity under former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The development follows the PDP National Executive Committee’s earlier decision on August 25 to zone the 2027 presidential ticket to the South and the National Chairman position to the North.
Northern PDP leaders later micro-zoned the chairmanship slot to the Northwest, where Turaki hails from.
Before Wednesday’s endorsement, Turaki was reportedly in a tight race with former Kaduna State Governor Ahmed Makarfi and former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido.
Governor Fintiri assured that the upcoming convention will be peaceful and well-organized, saying, “The PDP is an institution with mechanisms to handle internal disagreements. We’ve been consulting for weeks, and I can assure you that the convention will be rancour-free.”
However, tensions remain high within the party as preparations for the convention continue. Loyalists of Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, are reportedly unhappy with the leadership of Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum.
Disputes over control of party structures in the South-South, disagreements about micro-zoning, and several court cases have deepened internal divisions.
In one legal case (FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/25), PDP chairmen from Imo and Abia States, along with the South-South Zonal Secretary, accused the Damagum-led National Working Committee of breaching the party’s constitution.
The matter, presided over by Justice James Omotosho, has been adjourned to October 20 after confusion arose over who was authorised to represent the party in court.
The controversy intensified after a letter signed by 14 NWC members reaffirmed the removal of the party’s Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), and his replacement with Chief Chris Uche (SAN). Ajibade, however, maintains that only a national convention can remove him.
In another twist, the party’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, petitioned security agencies, claiming he did not sign the letter notifying INEC of the upcoming convention. The PDP has since dismissed his claim and called for an investigation.
With the leadership disputes, forgery allegations, and legal battles piling up, concerns are growing that these internal crises could threaten the PDP’s preparations for a smooth transition at its forthcoming convention.
