October 27, (THEWILL) — The division among stakeholders within the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, over the nomination of former Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Taminu Turaki as consensus chairmanship candidate ahead of the party’s national convention in Ibadan, Oyo State continued on Sunday with an ex-presidential aide and a Lagos politician joining the fray.
Following the party’s decision to zone the Chairmanship to the North after it ceded its presidency to the South, some aspirants had emerged to contest the position. They included former governors of Kaduna and Jigawa States, Ahmed Markafi and Sule Lamido, respectively, as well as Turaki.
THEWILL recalls that at a consultative meeting held in Abuja, last Wednesday, leaders and stakeholders in the North, agreed to micro-zone the office of Chairman to the North-West and also “unanimously” endorsed the choice of Turaki as the consensus candidate.
Turaki, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, was nominated for the position in what was seen as a strategic move to broaden inclusiveness, foster cohesion and unity after the party zoned its presidency to the South. But his nomination has continued to ignite sharp responses from across the country.
Some stakeholders from the North-West faulted the selection process at the weekend. Their spokesperson, who is also the outgoing National Organising Secretary of the party, Umar Bature, said that Turaki was imposed on the zone without due consultations with relevant stakeholders.
Also, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike has described Turaki’s emergence as a recipe for division of the party into factions. Responding, Turaki has described opposition to his nomination as the work of an unnamed South-South leader in the party whose goal is to frustrate efforts to unite the party.
On Sunday, Mallam Umar Sani, a former Senior Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to ex-Vice President Namadi and Sambo Chief Sunday Olaifa, an aspirant for the position of Party chairman in Lagos State, emphasised the importance of unity within the party, stressing the need for a consensus-driven approach to selecting a leader—one who is not only loyal and capable but also highly respected by party members.
In a statement titled “The Charade of a Northwest Meeting,” Sani emphasised that “the role of the national chairman of the party transcends regional boundaries and is emblematic of the entire federation.
He pointed out that the process of selecting PDP chairmen has historically been transparent and inclusive, with prominent figures like Solomon Lar and Adamu Mu’azu rising to leadership through broad consultations and the influence of powerful internal party blocs.
“Solomon Lar’s brief tenure was an exception, as he was chosen to set the party on a sound footing. Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, for instance, completed Adamu Mu’azu’s tenure through the intervention of Wike and Fayose, while the Makarfi-led caretaker committee was conceived by Babangida Aliyu and Sule Lamido. Prince Uche Secondus and Sen. Iyorchia Ayu also emerged through the influence of powerful governors’, he said, adding that, “History proves that party leaders and state governors will always show interest in who leads them. Governor Fintiri merely reaffirmed this long-standing PDP tradition by stating that any dissatisfied aspirant is free to contest’, Sani stated.
Arguing that a senior member of the party from the South-South geopolitical zone, who prefers to remain anonymous, believes that the core issue at hand isn’t specifically Kabiru Tanimu Turaki himself, but the overall stability and unity of the party, he was skeptic about the sudden appearance of certain obscure individuals claiming to oppose the decisions and discussions that have been openly debated and agreed upon by established party leaders.
“To date, no substantial or credible evidence has been put forward to challenge Kabiru Tanimu Turaki’s integrity or actions. Instead, what we are witnessing appears to be a series of smear campaigns and false accusations orchestrated by individuals whose true motives for the party remain suspicious and whose loyalty is questionable. Such tactics threaten to undermine the hard-won unity and progress the party has made and it’s crucial for the leadership to remain vigilant against these divisive efforts,” he said.
Olaifa believes the cap fits Turaki “as a key figure who could play a pivotal role in fostering effective leadership. Turaki’s chairmanship, according to him, could help to “ensure transparent, inclusive nominations of strong candidates for the upcoming elections, which are vital to strengthening the party’s unity, cohesion and electoral prospects. The Lagos party leader also views the move by those opposing the consensus built around Turaki as destabilising and urged all to work towards stability and unity within the party.”
Apart from Fintiri, other party leaders in attendance at the meeting where Turaki was selected, are the National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum; the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed and his counterparts in Plateau State, Caleb Muftwang; Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal; Taraba State, Agbu Kefas; and Secretary of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), Ahmed Makarfi. Others are Minority Leader of the Senate, Abba Moro; and former President of the Senate, Olusola Saraki, Sule Lamido, Professor Jerry Gana, Senator Hassan Dankwambo, Ibrahim Shekarau, Mike Omeri, Humphrey Abba and Mohammed Goronyo.
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