PDP Faces Fresh Crisis As North-West Rejects Kabiru Turaki For National Chairman

Some stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the North-West have rejected the endorsement of Kabiru Turaki.

KanyiDaily recalls that Kabiru Turaki, a former Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, was recently endorsed as the consensus candidate for the PDP national chairmanship.

Northern PDP leaders had adopted Turaki as their sole candidate during a series of meetings held on Wednesday night.

Those in attendance included Bauchi Governor Bala Mohammed, Plateau Governor Caleb Mutfwang, Adamawa Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, Zamfara Governor Dauda Lawal, and the party’s acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum.

Also present were former Senate President Bukola Saraki, ex-Minister of Information Jerry Gana, Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro, and former Education Minister Ibrahim Shekarau, among others.

The PDP’s national convention, where new National Working Committee (NWC) members will be elected, is set to take place on November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Earlier in August, the PDP’s National Executive Committee (NEC) zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to the South.

Following party tradition, the position of national chairman was then allocated to the North, and later micro-zoned to the North-West.

Former governors Ahmed Makarfi (Kaduna), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), and Kabiru Turaki were among those reportedly interested in the seat.

However, during a press conference on Thursday, the PDP’s National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, said Turaki’s endorsement was not a collective decision.

Flanked by former PDP National Secretary Ibrahim Tsauri, Mustapha Lamido (son of former Jigawa Governor Sule Lamido), and former Kaduna governorship candidate Isah Ashiru, Bature stated that the North-West PDP had not met to agree on a single candidate.

“A meeting was held yesterday with other leaders of the northern zones, and the name of an individual was reportedly adopted. The north-west has not met to agree on that position.

“So, we want to make it clear to everybody that this zone [north-west] has not adopted anybody as a candidate from this zone for the position of Peoples Democratic Party national chairman.

“We believe we are the strongest zone in the PDP, and the attitude of our leaders in this regard made us take this position that we disagree with the governor’s position of yesterday, and we are going to have our own candidate that we will nominate for that position.

“North-west is the zone to which the national chairmanship has been zoned. This position has been determined by other zones, and we believe it is unfair for them to select a particular candidate without consulting this zone. That’s why we are taking this position.

“Consensus is made by consultation. We have not been consulted,” he said.

Bature also explained that stakeholders from the North-West were not invited to the meeting where Turaki’s name was chosen, noting that a previously scheduled meeting meant to discuss the matter had been postponed.

KanyiDaily recalls that all local government chairmen in Bayelsa State recently announced their resignation from the PDP and declared their full support for Governor Douye Diri after he left the party.